Are you ready for His agenda?
Mark 8: 34-38
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
No man who wants to follow Jesus and be an effective leader can afford to miss these words. So many men are suffering an identity crisis. In a separated from God state men struggle to know who they are. With a strong desire to establish an identity, men may turn to what the world would have them be. (Bill Peel, What God Does When Men Lead: The Power and Potential of Regular Guys). Just as Jesus educated his apostles and disciples our true and authentic self comes only by Him and knowing Him and being in relationship with Him.
We must die the self who seeks identity through worldly
pursuits. In the world today people tend
to value power, wealth, and fame. Men
often define who they are by what they do; especially when in competition with
others or brings wealth and fame. Even
when there is alignment between God given talents and gifts and vocation if we
shift from serving the body of Christ with our talents and gifts to personal
and worldly gain we lose sight of our real identity in Christ. And this line is subtle and the temptation is
often great to cross it. Worldly
motivators of position, money, status are strong. They offer quick happiness and not the
fullness of joy which only comes through Him. When we find too much comfort in what
we do rather than in Him it is likely we have crossed or will shortly cross the
line.
We
find throughout the Gospels and the Epistles that Jesus is the ultimate
leader. He alone is the perfect leader
and the agendas of all leaders is to be His alone. We are to do His will on earth as it is in
heaven. There is a cost to be a leader
who first follows Jesus. Most simply is
that to be a leader is to be a servant.
As Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, each of us as leaders
are to first serve others. The ability
to spread the Gospel comes through relationships. We are called to share the Gospel (Good News)
of Jesus Christ. Credibility as a leader
comes from meeting needs and moving others forward. When we reveal our identity in Christ we
forge credibility and authority in meeting the needs of others.
As Christians and leaders, taking up a cross is not just
about dealing with bad things or negative circumstances (a loss of a job, loss
of wealth, loss of fame), it is about serving others. Being there for others in their time of
need. It even may be dying for others
just as Christ died for us. We cannot be
ashamed to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
That he came to save us. He came
to unconditionally redeem a sinful world.
As a leader as you take up the cross you commit to using your gifts to
take on and continue the leadership agenda set forth by Jesus Christ. As a leader take time to pray that you
continue to hear His calling and obey His will for your life.
Are you ready for His leadership agenda?
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