True Leaders Follow First

[scott_ball]

When going through devotional day 29, I was reminded of a principle of leadership that emerged while I was writing a biblical theology of leadership. As I journeyed through the Bible, it became incredibly clear to me that the best leaders in the Bible were followers first.

King David was the youngest son in his family, submitting to both his father and his older brothers before he was selected to be king. Even then, he humbly followed the leadership of King Saul--even when it was most difficult--before finally being crowned himself. Nehemiah was a cup bearer, a servant (though a servant of high position) before becoming governor over Palestine. Joseph was a slave and a prisoner before becoming second-in-command of Egypt. We frequently skip over the reality that Paul went through a time when he was a follower and trained (Acts 9) before becoming a leader; he was mentored by Barnabas before becoming the church planter extraordinaire that we focus on. Even Jesus submitted himself to his parents, and then to John the Baptist, before calling his own disciples and beginning his powerful ministry. Jesus didn't need to follow first, but he set the example for us.

A friend of mine once told me, "be leery of people who want to be in authority and not under it." In my own life, I tried to jump the gun. I thought that I could enter my first full-time ministry and become a big shot. I quickly learned that I was not a good follower--not of my superiors and not of Jesus. I learned the hard way that I needed to submit myself to the authority of others before I could become the leader I wanted to be. It is a process that I am still going through, and hopefully one that will continue my whole life.

I want to always submit myself to my Senior Pastor: Jesus Christ.