One of the hardest lessons for a leader to learn is that he is first and foremost a servant of those he's leading.I'm learning that myself both as a small group leader at church, and as a student-worker supervisor at my job. The problem isn't grasping the content, though, it's letting that content penetrate and result into action.
The best example I've ever had of this servant-leader concept being lived out is found in my good friend, Mo Roberson, the Associate Athletics Director at Cal Baptist. "Robe," as he's affectionately known, has got to be the easiest person to respect that I've ever met simply because he personifies servant-style humility.
The great thing about Robe is that he serves those whom he's trying to lead. And the reason he's able to do that is that he gets grace. He knows the One who emptied Himself and made Himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, became obedient to death--even death on a cross.
Robe isn't the hero of his own life, and that's why he's able to impact the lives of others.
With my friend Robe in mind, compare the leadership style of King Rehoboam, son of Solomon, successor of David's throne.
To be fair, Rehoboam had already been prophesied to be the fall boy in the line of David. Solomon had followed after other gods because of his marriage to foreign, idolatrous wives, and the Kingdom was to be largely stripped away and parceled out to another as a result.
Because of God's promise to David, the Kingdom wouldn't be taken away from Solomon himself. And only because of God's grace, the Kingdom would never be taken away entirely from David's House. That's because David's House was to produce the Promised Seed, the Deliverer of Israel--Jesus.
So here's Rehoboam, trumpets sound as he takes the podium for his first press conference as King. The newspapers are there, and they want to know what's going to define his Kingdom.
"Your daddy was a harsh ruler, are you going to be the same?"
Rehoboam does the first, last and only wise thing ever reported in his whole life here. He delays answering the question.
"Uhhh... Come back in a couple of days and I'll answer you."
Now, Rehoboam takes counsel with the old men who had advised his father Solomon--the wisest of all wise guys ever. It seems like a good move at the time, and they give him some stellar advice.
"If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever."
"Serve the people and they'll follow you, Rehoboam." I can't get the picture of Robe out of my mind here. No boss I've either had or been around has been easier to follow, and it's because he's a servant to the people he's trying to lead.
What will Rehoboam do with the jewels of wisdom that the old men laid down? You guessed it, he's going to spurn them, "like a strumpet in the street."
Rehoboam goes to his high school buddies to ask what they think. (And there's a lesson here for us younger guys listening to older men here, isn't there?) I'm picturing his buddies sitting on their Harleys and wearing sleeveless leather vests, maybe snapping their fingers in rhythm like the Sharks and the Jets.
"Hey dudes, what do you think I should say? Should I lower myself and be a servant?"
The reply comes back from the Causeless-Rebels:
"Serving is for suckas! Your finger is thicker than your daddy's thigh and your daddy's whip is going to be a scorpion in your hands!"
Now we come to the point. Robe's servant-leadership style versus Rehoboam's scorpion-leadership style, right? Not exactly.
It's more like this: We need a True and Better Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was called upon to lead his people by way of service. He was charged with the task of laying himself down for others.
Rehoboam could not have failed any worse than he did, and come to think of it, we could not have failed any worse than we do. We consistently put ourselves above others, making ourselves little copies of Rehoboam.
We need a King who is willing to serve us. A Master who washes His disciples' feet.
We need Very God of Very God, Light of Light, to liquidate His Eternal-God assets and take on the form of a servant.
We need Him to submit to the old men's advice, because we're lost and ruined if He doesn't.
It's only by looking away from ourselves and to the Servant-King, the True and Better Rehoboam, that we can expect to lead like Robe. We can't be our own hero. Only Jesus can fill that role.
