Apr
28
Follow the Leader
Filed Under Devotional
I learned a long time ago how valuable it is to lead by example. I’ve also learned that the example can be contemporary or historical.
There’s the obvious case of being willing to do what you are asking those following your lead to do. When I was a technical lead, I was assigning tasks to the engineers on the team, but I was doing the very same work with them. I always ended up taking just as much (if not more) than everyone else on the team. I lead by being willing to work hard and expecting them to do the same.
Then, when I was first placed in a management position, I managed several guys that I had been working side-by-side with previously. I had earned some level of respect simply because I had done what they had done and I had worked hard at it. They knew I had worked the long hours and done the hard work in the past, so they knew I was on their side. I’d stay late and buy them dinner, but I was clearly asking them to work harder and longer hours than I had to at that point. I like to think that there was some willingness to do so because they knew I had done it before. They knew that I knew what it was like.
So, when we are commanded to be humble and obedient, we shouldn’t have much trouble following Christ’s example.
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:5-8
Christ started higher than we did and humbled himself further than we ever could. Christ was obedient beyond anything we could ever duplicate. This is a leader who has been there and done even more than what He’s asking of you.
How can you refuse? How can you deny Him? Be humble and be obedient.
Follow the Leader.