Meditations on “In the Name of Jesus, Reflections on Christian Leadership" by Henri Nouwen
Josh Groben sings in the background:
He believed in my potential and my abilities, making room for me to use them. It made such a difference in my life. I would not be where I am in life or my career today without his belief in me. My current and my previous pastor (she passed away) also fall into this category. Their belief in me caused me to grow. Ironically, or not so ironically, these three people, outside of Jesus, are the people who have had the greatest positive influence on my life.
I have had other mentors in my life who taught me wonderful things about life and I have deeply appreciated their investment in me. However, it is the ones who really believed in me and called out my potential that most deeply influenced my life.
Henri Nouwen notes that the servant leader is “the leader who is being led to unknown, undesirable, and painful places.” He says it is not a path of upward mobility but the way of downward mobility that ends with the cross.
I often think of servant leadership as being so noble and leading one to greater and greater success as the people who they believe in support them. However, Jesus was led to very undesirable and painful places as he laid down his life for those who followed Him. Serving led Him on the road to the cross.
Henri notes that it is not in power, control and success that Jesus is made manifest, but in powerlessness and humility where the suffering servant is made manifest. I cannot choose both paths. I cannot choose to invest my energy in my own success and also choose the path of helping others reach their full potential. To be honest, this has been my problem, I have wanted them both.
They conflict with each other. If I am striving for my own success, rather than laying down my life for those I am serving, choosing what is best for them and helping them achieve their potential, I will be picking up my life and serving myself. Part of me will always be expecting them to help me achieve my potential. If I am only helping them achieve their potential because it helps me, then I am really using and manipulating them for my benefit and have an expected return.
Part of me fears going the way of the cross. I am afraid of becoming insignificant and unimportant. I am afraid that in giving my life away to others, helping them achieve their potential, I will become nothing. Yet, it is the route that people like Mother Teresa chose. Rather than spending her life on herself, she gave it away freely to others. She had no inspirations of her own success to distract her from her labors.
My deepest desire to be more like Christ. Yet, it is only in the laying down of my own desire for success, recognition and achievement and spending my life investing in others that Christ can be made manifest. Lord, please take me by the hand and lead me to the cross.
When I think of servant leadership, I think of those great leaders who have really made a difference because they were willing to believe in their people and come around them, helping them become their full potential. My first boss was like this. He was the one who unknowingly led me to Christ. I admired him greatly (and still do). He is now a pastor and teaches a class on servant leadership which does not surprise me at all.Jesu, joy of man's desiring
Holy wisdom, love most bright
Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated lightWord of God, our flesh that fashioned
With the fire of life impassioned
Striving still to truth unknown
Soaring, dying round Thy throne
He believed in my potential and my abilities, making room for me to use them. It made such a difference in my life. I would not be where I am in life or my career today without his belief in me. My current and my previous pastor (she passed away) also fall into this category. Their belief in me caused me to grow. Ironically, or not so ironically, these three people, outside of Jesus, are the people who have had the greatest positive influence on my life.
I have had other mentors in my life who taught me wonderful things about life and I have deeply appreciated their investment in me. However, it is the ones who really believed in me and called out my potential that most deeply influenced my life.
Henri Nouwen notes that the servant leader is “the leader who is being led to unknown, undesirable, and painful places.” He says it is not a path of upward mobility but the way of downward mobility that ends with the cross.
I often think of servant leadership as being so noble and leading one to greater and greater success as the people who they believe in support them. However, Jesus was led to very undesirable and painful places as he laid down his life for those who followed Him. Serving led Him on the road to the cross.
Henri notes that it is not in power, control and success that Jesus is made manifest, but in powerlessness and humility where the suffering servant is made manifest. I cannot choose both paths. I cannot choose to invest my energy in my own success and also choose the path of helping others reach their full potential. To be honest, this has been my problem, I have wanted them both.
They conflict with each other. If I am striving for my own success, rather than laying down my life for those I am serving, choosing what is best for them and helping them achieve their potential, I will be picking up my life and serving myself. Part of me will always be expecting them to help me achieve my potential. If I am only helping them achieve their potential because it helps me, then I am really using and manipulating them for my benefit and have an expected return.
Part of me fears going the way of the cross. I am afraid of becoming insignificant and unimportant. I am afraid that in giving my life away to others, helping them achieve their potential, I will become nothing. Yet, it is the route that people like Mother Teresa chose. Rather than spending her life on herself, she gave it away freely to others. She had no inspirations of her own success to distract her from her labors.
My deepest desire to be more like Christ. Yet, it is only in the laying down of my own desire for success, recognition and achievement and spending my life investing in others that Christ can be made manifest. Lord, please take me by the hand and lead me to the cross.
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