Kingdom Leadership Dynamics :
When it comes to leadership, and what makes one a good and seasoned leader, there are diverse views and opinions.
While some are of the opinion that ;
Leaders are made not born, some believe that leaders are born that way naturally to lead and inspire people around them.
Jesus Christ speaking to his disciples in our text, on leadership, was clear and direct on what makes up good leadership in the kingdom.
He said,
“ You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be a servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as ransom for many.”
Leadership in God’s kingdom from what Jesus said above is different from leadership in the world system.
In the World System of leadership, rulers are the master, while those under them are slaves. They flaunt their authority, throw their weight around, and a little power goes to their heads. Their followers serve them.
While
In the kingdom leadership is about “Service” and “Serving”. Leaders in the kingdom do not throw their weight around, nor do they flaunt their authority, lording over those under them.
They are slaves who serve those under them, power doesn’t go into their heads, as they use their access to power to meet needs by proffering solutions, to those whom they lead, and not making life hard for them.
As a leader who desires to be the first, you must be a servant and a slave to those whom you are leading just like Jesus Christ, who did not come to be served, but to serve and we all know where he is today and He is indeed the No 1.
Jesus Christ served so much that no one among the Multitudes, Chief Priests, and Scribes, who heard of or followed him could identify him among his disciples.
He blended in amongst them, he did not treat them as slaves or servants but as his friends, though he was their leader.
This was why there was a need for someone to identify him personally to them which was where Judas Iscariot came in to identify him with a kiss.
Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ” Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.”
If Jesus Christ had been the leader his disciples served rather than Him being a servant, it would have been easy to identify Him in the midst of His disciples.
One principle the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of my understanding to see on leadership is that; if the LORD God in his purpose for your life, has ordained that you will be a leader with great responsibilities on your shoulder, He does not just pick you up and place you in that place of great leadership.
He first takes you through different steps, processes, and tests, to see how faithful you are, and your ability to handle the little leadership responsibilities he brings your way, before giving you the opportunity to serve in that high leadership position He has destined and purposed that you occupy.
A case in point is that of Joseph the Slave Boy
For the LORD God, Joseph’s final destination was to be the second most powerful man in the hierarchy of command, in the entire land of Egypt after Pharaoh, but He did not just pick him up and put him in that leadership position.
The LORD God tested Joseph through small leadership positions to see how he handles them, before committing greater responsibilities into his hands.
This is because the LORD God does not do things haphazardly. He is always meticulous in choosing the best for His assignments. To get this best, He tests them through diverse ways to see if they will be faithful in the little He gives them before giving them more.
He gives everyone according to his ability.
Leadership to God is not so much about the Educational Qualifications the individual has, but those qualities which are not visible to the eyes, the innate qualities that make one a seasoned leader.
These qualities a certificate can not prove if a leader has these or not. But when circumstances require that a good leader show these qualities and he does not show these qualities, then he does not indeed qualify to be promoted or elevated to that higher position of authority.
Come With Me Let’s Examine 3 Stages Of Joseph’s Leadership Journey
1) Joseph’s First Leadership Office ( Managing The Whole HouseHold Of Potiphar Genesis 39: 1-20
Vs 6 “ So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing – except what kind of food to eat ’’.
Joseph a slave and a servant in the house of Potiphar, because of the favour of God upon his life in a strange land, found favour with his master Potiphar, who put him in charge of all his household, and he did not concern himself with anything except the food he eats.
Being the second in command of the household of Potiphar, we did not read that Joseph because he was in charge of all the household of Potiphar, abused his position of authority by Lording it over other servants serving with him.
- He was humble.
“Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “ Come and sleep with me “, she demanded. But Joseph refused. “ Look’’, he told her, “ My master trusts me with everything in this entire household. No one has more authority than I do. He has held nothing back from me except you because you are his wife.”
- He knew his boundary: Joseph knew that; yes he was put in charge of the household of Potiphar, but his wife was not included.
- He feared God: “ How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God .”
Joseph knew that it was a wicked thing to sleep with his master’s wife. He choose to go to prison, than compromise. Was going to prison the end?
2) Joseph’s Second Leadership Office ( In Charge Of Fellow Prisoners In Prison) Genesis 39: 21-23
Because Joseph refused to compromise, his master’s wife lied against him and accused him of rape. Potiphar burning with anger took him and put him in prison, in the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
Vs 22 “ Before long the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries because Joseph took care of everything.
Joseph in the prison once again found himself as a leader in prison.
The prison warden put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners and paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care. Why? because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever thing he did.
Sometime later, the cupbearer and chief baker of the King of Egypt offended their master, the King of Egypt. Pharaoh became angry with these two officials and put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard.
They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them.
While they were in prison, Pharaoh’s cupbearer and chief baker had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning.
When Joseph saw them the next morning and looked at them, he saw that they were both sad.
“Why do you look so sad today ? he asked them.
“ We both had dreams, ’’they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”
“ Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied.
“ Go ahead and tell me your dreams.”
Joseph who was in prison for a crime he did not commit, had every reason to be bitter, angry, vengeful, and mean to everyone who came his way. He had access to great power and could have used it to transfer aggression on his fellow prisoners for the bad hand that life had doled out to him.
But we see him as a prisoner observing that his fellow prisoners who also he was their leader, were sad and worried.
He was not busy carrying out leadership duties that he failed to see that his fellow prisoners under him were hurting.
No!
He observed that they were sad, which means he had also known when they were happy. He was indeed a leader who showed care and empathy ( the ability to understand and share the feelings of others).
- Empathy: The ability to show as well as be empathic towards your followers is a great distinct attribute and characteristic of a good leader. This attribute Joseph had.
The cupbearer and the chief baker of the king of Egypt shared with Joseph the reason for their sadness and feeling worried.
- Problem-Solving Skill: Joseph through the Spirit of God gave interpretation ( solution) to that which made his fellow prisoners sad. He did not only identify the problem, but he also solved the problem and everything happened exactly the way he told them. Genesis 40: 12- 23.
The ability to solve problems with current and relevant information is an important attribute of leadership that Joseph exhibited here, which the Holy Spirit led us to see in my post “ Knowledge For The Now.” Check it out.
Joseph did not solve the problems of his fellow prisoners under his leadership with obsolete and old information which did not work, but with current and relevant information from God that worked.
A good leader is one who always has access to new and relevant knowledge (information) to solve the challenges of those who they are leading so that they don’t lead them into danger or lead them astray.
A good leader is one who always inquires from the LORD God to get the knowledge for the now for his followers; that way he can stay abreast in serving and leading them in accordance with God’s will.
Why?
Every problem you solve as a leader is an opportunity for you to be announced to the world and your generation.
Good leaders are problem solvers.
They identify a problem through their heart which is filled with compassion and empathy, then because of that compassion and empathy, they feel toward those under them, and they solve their problems using the current information which they have from God.
To Be Continued …
God Bless You
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