"Serve"
My horses trot on over,
A lookin’ for a bite,
And if I make ‘em wait long,
One’s sure to pick a fight.
Yes, George Strait’s the boss man,
And Scout, he know it’s so,
And Strait helps him remember,
And never lets it go.
And don’t you ever doubt it,
In any pasture fill,
One will be the top horse,
He’ll impose his will.
And sometimes not a “he” at all,
But some strong alpha mare,
And all the others watch her,
And step around with care.
I’ve seen this equine dominance,
All my horseback years,
And sometimes, too, with people,
Who take control, no fears,
They bully and they push you,
And if you go along,
It will get worse, not better,
Though it’s not right, so wrong.
That’s not how Christians do it,
They lead but not with force,
They humbly set example,
And depend upon their Source.
When your first love is Jesus,
Greatness comes to you,
When you become a servant,
And lose control it’s true.
It’s Jesus’ way of leading,
When we lay down our rights,
Become a servant leader,
Trust in the Spirit’s might.
“Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant…” (Mt. 20:26, NLT)
The world’s style of leadership is all too often about dominance and manipulation. People bully others because of their own insecurity and need to control. If you’ve had to deal with someone like that, God bless you. It’s not easy. Christians approach leadership in a completely different way. Because we belong to the One who gave up His life to save others, we win by losing and lead by serving. We become what has been called “servant leaders” because there is no control or manipulation involved. Those who lead humbly inspire the confidence of those who follow. They are not driven, harassed, abused, or used in any way. They are loved and valued and served, even when the leader is decisive and has to lead in an unpopular direction. Greatness is promised only to those who become the servant of all.
Lord, teach us to serve, in Jesus’ name.
Art by Bruce Greene, brucegreenart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bruce, and God bless you.