[Leadership] Discussion post: "Serving Others" (100/100, 4/06/2025)

Based upon my reading assignment this week from Don Howell’s <Servants of the Servant> and Blanchard, Hodges & Hendry’s <Lead Like Jesus> plus what I have gleaned over the years is that 1) if one wants to do well according to Scripture including Leadership, then look no further than Jesus Christ, who set a perfect example for all of us to follow and emulate, as our one and only Rabbi, our #1 High Priest and ultimate Judge and the True Forever-Reigning Lord over all things (cf. Hebrews 4:14-16). He will guide our path every step of the way. In contrast, 2) if one wants to do nothing but fail miserably including in (pseudo-)leadership, then there is no other being than Satan--the original murderer, father of all lies, attempted-usurper, destroyer/Apollyon  (cf. John 8:44), a deceiver of highest order--to follow and be like, whose ultimate fate is the eternal incarceration and torment in the Lake of Fire,  for forever time. Let’s examine each case closer:

As Howell wrote, “Kingdom leaders are willing to occupy less esteemed roles and to undertake menial tasks in order to facilitate the success of others through their service (Lk 22:26).” (Howell, p. 202). This aligns perfectly with what Jesus said about the discipleship as in “denying oneself, taking up one’ own cross, and following Jesus.” (Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Matthew 16:24). I am now quite familiar with this passage especially considering having taught a bible study class and given a series of exegetical sermons from the book of Mark for the past year and still counting.  And each time when we came upon this particular/similar passage or have visited the theme of pastorship/discipleship, I emphasized and re-emphasized to my audience/members “how hard” it is to practice and implement these very things into the fabric of our lives. However, it is something we’d absolutely and ultimately have to do even if the cost and stakes are high as expressed in “Servant leadership is not an option; servant leadership is a mandate.” (Blanchard, Hodges, Hendry, p. 14).

Well, what makes it hard is that first it is not something we normally pursue, you know. It goes against our intuition. It is counter intuitive. Furthermore, our worldly and cultural values and desires are predicated upon us being a “go getter”, to better ourselves, to improve our present conditions, and to build for a better future; and from early on we are taught to strive, triumph (suffer some in the process), obtain (fame and fortune in some rare cases if one is fortunate enough) a good job/position/knowledge/materials/influence/property and monetary compensation/wealth. We’ve been brainwashed that way. Along the way we get congratulated, commended, praised for our struggle, which would naturally stroke our bloated egos, self-worth and boost our self-confidence. The higher we land on the socio-economic hierarchical ladder, the higher we still want to climb, but there is a risk (of eventual downfall) involved as Howell wrote, “(However,) elevation brings with it heightened opportunities for the vices of greed, arrogance and vanity to creep in and overtake one’s soul.” (p. 189) And the one who had achieved all the worldly successes in every which way possible in immensity and abundance like no one before or after in human history lamented “Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities. All is vanity.” (Cf. Ecclesiastes 1:2) We followers of Christ tend to agree with that statement, unequivocally.

We are all God’s feet-washing “Little children” without an exception; up until a few hours prior to His arrest, Jesus fondly called His disciples “little children,” as He taught the ultra-importance of mutual service to one another. And “not to hurt the little children among us”, and the little children being our very neighbors next to us. “Courage to rebuke and humility to forgive” (Mt 18:15-35) (Howell, p. 192), “exalting the lowly” (Lk 18:9-14) (Howell, p. 194), are the examples and lifestyle we ought to follow. Jesus taught that the Greatest in heaven are those who are willing to become the least among us. The maxim is that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Little children are pure in heart, totally dependent on their parents/care givers to survive; and they do and obey what their parents tell them to do. (Normally).  Ultimately the sons of Zebedee understood Jesus’ mandate and followed suit as they both denied themselves, took up their own cross and followed Jesus unto their last breath on earth.

On the other hand, how is Satan and his anti-biblical counter-discipleship which he extolls? Well, it is based on ROI of domination, self-indulgence, self-aggrandizement, hedonism, greed, avarice, desires of all sorts and so on, and the secular world emulates that; Per Howell “Worldly Leadership” craves after recognition and self-importance as “secular exercise unquestioned lordship over their subjects. Those who exercise secular authority are given the title Benefactor, and thus bind their subjects to an obligatory relationship for favors distributed,” (Howell, p. 202) That is how the underworld, the dark and gloomy Satanic world seemingly operates based on egotism, sheer force/tyranny, subjugation, and favoritism/partisanship as the end goal is an “one-upping someone” in its end game of “upending others.”

Let’s look at the king of Babylon/Satan’s Five Levels of Self-Destructive Actions described by Isaiah.

“How you have fallen from heaven,You star of the morning, son of the dawn!You have been cut down to the earth,You who defeated the nations!¹³ But you said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven;I will raise my throne above the stars of God,And I will sit on the mount of assemblyIn the recesses of the north.¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;I will make myself like the Most High.’¹⁵ Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol,To the recesses of the pit.”—Isaiah 14:12-15 (NASB)

There are five(“penta”) I will’s in this passage: 1) “I will” ascend to heaven; 2) “I will” raise my throne above the stars of God; 3) “I will” ascend above the heights of the clouds; 4) “I will” sit on the mount of assembly; 5) “I will” make myself like the Most High. Well, Satan failed miserably as “I AM” witnessed Satan falling from heaven like lightening (cf. Luke 10:18).  Ambition and greed for (ultimate) exclusivity/elitism, power, control, domination, arrogance, recognition, and a wish for perpetuity of selfish gains are portrayed here by the rebel.

Secular leadership is totally based on egotistical self-serving “I will” motives which does nothing but glorifying human flesh and its worldly desires. Money comes and goes. So does the fame. Power. The status. So does the beauty of our youth and the wisdom/knowledge of our degenerating brain as “all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:24, NASB)

In closing, with sustained and maturing Servant Leadership first comes the recognition of our own human frailty, vulnerability and temporariness, and nurturing of attitude and lifestyle which is solely based on the living according to the Word; basically, putting the Second Greatest Commandment to daily practice by respecting, honoring, respecting, caring, showing humility, loving, being considerate by thinking and treating as if a person next is more deserving than self  et al (cf. Gal. 5) are the examples. If one cannot endure his/her neighbor on earth while our living on earth is like a speck in the sand, how do we expect to endure one another in heaven where we will live forever?

Cautionary tales are written in the failed narrated leadership cases as in Lot, Saul, Eli, and numerous monarchs such as Ahab, Jezebel and so on. There were some “flawed” leaders such as Abram and David/Samson, but they all recovered as they found divine grace, mercy and forgiveness which restored and strengthened their lasting faith in the Holy One of Israel.

If any Romanov survived the Bolshevik revolutionaries and the ensuing mass execution as (falsely) rumored to be in case of the youngest Anastasia, having lived out the rest of her former royal life as a plain ordinary citizen of the Soviet Union, the magnitude of injustice, bewilderment and horror still would have infinitely paled in comparison to the degree of humility and grace shown by the Son of Man, who lived 33 years of His life in totally flipped, switched turned upside down world of unimaginable poverty, wants, modesty, and obscurity. And there is a lesson to be learned in history for the pretenders and imposters in all of us...

[References]

Blanchard Ken, Hodges Phil, and Hendry Phyllis, Lead Like Jesus Revisited: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time, [W Publishing Group: Nashville, Tennessee], 2016.

Howell, Don, Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership, [Wipf & Stock Publishers: Eugene, Oregon], 2003.

**My reply to a post by someone named Wilmer:

Yes Wilmer, I enjoyed reading your thoughtful and well-written post. I want to touch upon what you said about the “external” pressure which glorifies authority and power, which often goes against the servant leadership principles. As I and many have expressed our secular culture is full of such sentiments. And our goal and LU’s goal is that we go out and become Champions/servants of the Servant in the real world triumphing over those self-indulgent desires of flesh and to bring glory to God and His kingdom. As we are nearing the Easter Sunday we are ever more so reminded of the ultimate sacrifice which Lord Jesus did for us, that is dying on the cross as a ransom for many so that we’d live (cf. Mark 10:45; Matt. 20:28). It would have been real easy to succumb to the human desire to obtain glory and power as was the case in the aftermath of feedings of 5,000 men and 4,000 men alone when the crowds were ready to crown Him as their king. Political king that is. Who would not have minded a king who would perform all kinds of miraculous deeds, heal people of all illnesses and cast out demons? They probably thought that Jesus could easily help defeat the Romans in their fight towards earning their long-sought independence. However, the Lord dispersed them, and went to a solitary place to pray. And the Palm Sunday came..The Good Friday came…the Resurrection, the Easter Sunday came. Because our savior Jesus knew that the best way to serve others, help us!, was to be the Servant Messiah who would free us from sins so that we would not be subjected to God’s wrath of eternal damnation. That was  according to the will of the Father. That was the salvific plan all along, and He fulfilled it to perfection as Howell wrote, “The Son of man, then, is the one who first comes as a suffering Servant to provide redemption through his vicarious death, is raised from the dead, and will some day return in glory to judge and to rule over the nations.” (pp. 198-199) Amen.

[Reference]

Howell, Don N., Jr. Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2003. **

**My reply to a post by someone named Nathaniel:

Hi Nathaniel; thanks for your insightful and encompassing post which pretty much hit all the major points right on the head! Great job! Well, I’d like to relate to you in terms of doing ministry and your own prayerful lifestyle, and how it all ties the servant leadership together. As you mentioned, doing ministry--it really is a humbling and rewarding experience, is it not? I feel the same way; as I spend regular quiet time alone praying and contemplating about the people and their spiritual needs/prayer requests in my ministry, I can relate to them in more meaningful, caring ways and closeness, relationally the next time when I see them. It is really not about how well one preaches or teaches a bible study class at the end of day, you know. I and my wife are on the second tour of doing church ministry together now; we started with the Sunday School, did it for almost two years during the Covid Years, and now we have been ministering to adult group from college age to people in their 50s and 60s for a little over a year. Our Lord set an example for this all His life; often times He retreated to a reclusive desolate place to pray and spend time alone as Howell wrote, “Jesus exhorted his leaders-in-training to give first priority to their interior life, Three dimensions of kingdom would intersect in their core being: integrity (selfward); willing submission to God’s lordship (Godward) and compassion (manward). These attributes would transform them into the truly blessed ones and bring inestimable rewards both now and in the future.” (pp. 166-167.) Absolutely, Jesus completed all three dimensions of servanthood to perfection as in integrity, submission and compassion as we all know. As Jesus told, “But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6, NASB). How do the anti-Jesus people pray? Look no further than the Pharisees who loved being seen in public as they worked on long-winded elaborate mumblings of nothingness but in self-glorification of their white-washed righteousness (cf. Luke 18:10-14).

[Reference]

Howell, Don Jr., Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership: [Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers], 2003.**

**My reply to a post by someone named Andrew:

Thank you Andrew; I enjoyed reading your post, and the part about Dave M. is inspirational. Well, I want to touch upon what you alluded to “growing” the ability of servant leadership,  and how it is also a matter of heart. I agree wholeheartedly; to me that statement seems to suggest that servant leadership is an innate trait which some people are fortunate enough to be endowed with at birth. Right? Yes, we are all different, but God has blessed some of us to be born with heart which is predisposed to servant leadership, rather naturally than artificially, and be possessive of willingness and understanding to grow into it incrementally more and more throughout our entire life. As we all know that doesn’t come easy to “grow” into that kind of self-denying leadership since our natural bent is against it as you mentioned. It is like some people who just happen to have a “big heart” naturally, you know, Vs. people who may be more vindictive, unforgiving or vengeful. The latter is how most of us are like in our natural state, I assume. But in order to get to that point, they also had had some trials and errors along the way which led, provoked, prodded and motivated them all along, I reckon. The ultimate fruit of such “heart” of servant leadership then? A couple things immediately come to my mind as in Jesus’ forgiving His enemies who even crucified Him at Calvary (Matt. 5:44, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”); this  is EXTREMELY hard as you know. Impossible for many. However, as a disciple of Jesus who does nothing but emulate in His likeness, and who wouldn’t want to put his light under a bowl, we march on and turn our other cheek (Matt. 5:39) as Howell wrote, “This woman, whose sins were great, loved more because she had felt the release of so great a burden on her soul.” (Howell, p, 137) We love more and forgive more since the greater burdens and yolk had been lifted off our shoulders through Jesus.

[Reference]

Howell, Don N, Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership, [Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers], 2003.**