Message summary: Today let us make it our prayer “Lord, make me Your servant!”

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“Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). "But whoever would be great among you must be your servant" (Matthew 20:26). “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1).

Servant leadership is a term popularized during our lifetime. The concept asserts that servant-leaders achieve results for their organizations by giving priority attention to the needs of their colleagues and those whom they serve. Servant-leaders are often seen as humble stewards of their organization’s resources (human, financial and physical).

This impacts every reader in one way or another, unless you're a hermit. We all are, or have been, in some form of people management, either managing or being managed, often both concurrently. Most are under a manager and would like their management to read and practice this principle or servant leadership! It is greatly lacking in the secular employment world. However the teaching I initially received was applying it to church leadership as a pastor.

An effective manager needs to lead with confidence and authority. I have appreciated this quality in several of my employers through the years and we saw it in many of the company owners whom we have served as their company chaplains.

We particularly remember Anthony Muccio, our boss, when we drove school buses during the early years of our church planting in Northern Pennsylvania. He was a good administrator and there was no question as to who was in authority. Yet he was also very kind and treated his employees well.

But most all of us have had managers who arrogantly abused their authority and lorded it over their employees. We both can think of one we had in particular! They act as though they’re superior because they’re “the boss”.

Jesus’ statement in our first daily verse is known as the “golden rule”. Can you imagine how different things would be if this rule was universally practiced? But today let us consider its application in the work place.

Paul gives a directive to “masters” which I believe can be used in principle by anyone who has a place of managing authority. “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1). As you manage today and every day be sure to put the teachings of Jesus and the Bible into practice! A powerful word from our Lord applied first to Kingdom living but really to all of life is, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

Today let us make it our prayer “Lord, make me Your servant!”

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber