People will follow whatever example they have, good or bad. We see this pattern throughout scripture. People need to see local success to keep them motivated. It’s not enough to just talk about how great things are everywhere else. This kind of thinking is exactly what got Israel in trouble. It didn’t matter what God did for them, they still battled with believing that it was always better everywhere except where they were! Do you do that?
By James Holland
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If you are brave enough, read on! I must warn you that what you are about to read, if received, may well totally change your life and perspective on your relationship with God and His church.
What does servant hood really mean from a Biblical perspective? Servant hood is the narrow road to real leadership. Powerful leaders are always servants at heart. They understand that there is a price to pay. Servants are not always looking for the easy way out! They just do what ever it takes to get the job done. Thomas Edison, our nation’s most famous inventor, said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident. They came by hard work.
The Price
If you are going to make a difference in your world and in the kingdom of God, then you will no doubt have to sacrifice. In fact, in the Bible, when people made a sacrifice, they called it worship. The strange thing I have noticed about most church people, as well as leaders, is the fact that they have no problem sacrificing someone else to God’s service, but have trouble sacrificing themselves. People don’t like the idea of sacrifice. Yet, in God’s kingdom, as well as the real world we live in, it’s just the way it is. There is a price to pay! Sacrifice is part of the price. Joseph made many sacrifices before his real victory. It is important to stay focused, especially while you are going through a sacrificial growth pattern. Sacrifices will either help you grow or it will cause you to give up. The professional world is not afraid of sacrifice; why should the church be?
Self-discipline is part of the sacrifice. It is the inner quality that is necessary before you can keep on going and paying the price until you reach each goal that you have set. Jesus was a great example of a life of sacrifice. Yet, look at the power He had and the many things He accomplished in spite of the opposition He faced. No one else can make you put in that extra effort to see the job through. It has to come from the in-side, and it requires that you develop the strength to turn down things that may take your time away from your primary objective.
So, the next time you see a great leader and declare that you want to be just like them, you should first consider the price and sacrifices they have made to be used of God as they are. My friend, every leader worth anything to God’s kingdom has paid some kind of a price and made many sacrifices to reach that point. God designed it that way so we would have the right spirit, the right attitude, and the right perspective on things. We are, and always will be, simply servants. Every leader will pay a price of one kind or another.
The reason this price-paying, sacrificing business is so important to us is that when you give something your all, when you really work hard and sacrifice, it builds both your ability to do something well and strengthens your mental attitude as well. The value of something is determined by the time, effort, and sacrifice that it takes to achieve it. That’s why if you simply always give people everything, most of them will not deeply appreciate it. It cost them nothing!
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