John 3:16 , II Corinthians 3:17-18 , II Corinthians 4:6
This course introduces the foundational ideas of leadership. If the foundation of what you’re trying to build isn’t solid, your building will collapse. For purposes of this class, let’s lay foundations with some basic truths. First, we start with the Gospel message: apart from God’s saving grace in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, all have fallen short of God’s goodness and glory. Our best efforts become riddled with manipulation, self-promotion, and self-righteousness.
When leadership fails, it’s because leaders assume they know it all (self-righteousness) and can do it all (self-sufficiency). But the Gospel tells us otherwise. We are neither righteous nor sufficient on our own. We need a Savior to change our hearts and to humble us; in doing so, we can truly lead others by serving them just as Christ did.
As we study leadership in this course and seek to emulate Christ’s leadership behavior, let’s remember that, first and foremost, Jesus is after our hearts and wants a relationship with us. He has come to be the Lord and Savior of everything. If we can grow in that understanding, we will also grow in our knowledge and leadership abilities.
- To what extent have you equated leadership with power, position, and prestige? How does this contrast with the idea of leadership as presented in the above verses and in the devotional?
- Have you ever tried to do the right thing and failed? Were you discouraged? How might the Gospel message encourage you to focus not on your failure but on God’s faithfulness to you in Christ? Can you count on the Lord to cause you to grow in your obedience to him so you will do the right thing?
- How do the above questions relate to your leadership abilities?
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