Faith Venture

Boxing legend Muhammed Ali generated a lot of publicity in the 60s with his boast, “I am the greatest.” The rock group Queen followed in the late 70s with the perennial sports anthem, “We are the champions of the world.” But it’s not just 20th Century America who is concerned with being the best.

The closest followers of Jesus became embroiled in a heated discussion as they were walking toward another city. Imagine an animated yet whispered (because they didn’t want the teacher to know) argument–who is the greatest disciple.

So Jesus naturally asks, what were you discussing? They were ashamed. Of course. Ever see a kid get “busted?” Even a dog has a look of shame when you call it out for doing something even it knows it shouldn’t be doing. But for Jesus every life experience is an opportunity for teaching. So he throws out one of his paradoxes. If you want to be the greatest, you must be the servant.

He then pulls a child to him to emphasize the fact. You see, children were not romanticized in the ancient world as they are today–especially in Britain and America. They were little people, and being little and unable to do much work, they had little value. We, on the other hand, tend to get gushy sentimental about kids and think our goal in life is to provide them everything they could possibly want to make them happy. (That doesn’t work, but that’s a different teaching.)

Organizations have been built on the principle that all honor and glory should be given to the CEO (or bishop, or whatever role). That person gives orders to people who give orders to people and so on until finally work gets done. This has been the manufacturing model–a model upon which schools and churches have been built.

But all that is changing. We’re seeing a change in manufacturing, where the insights and ideas of every person in the company is solicited and valued. We’re seeing CEOs (often the most successful) who understand their role is to support others. We’re seeing the most successful churches are those where the leadership gifts of everyone are encouraged, and missions and ministries are built from the ground up–rather than ordered from the top down. Maybe we’re finally learning from Jesus.

If you want to be the greatest, be the servant of all.

Have you moved from your home town or neighborhood? Ever go back? People remember you as you were, not what you’ve become. I’m from a very small town. Not that many people remember me, now, but when I had been gone only 10 or 20 years, people would remember taking up collections to buy razor blades for me (only guy in town with a beard in 1968, I guess) or some of my other youthful transgressions.

Maybe even if you still live in the same place and you want to improve yourself–maybe as a writer or speaker–and people say “She’s only someone we know.” We do tend to place people in categories and refuse to let them grow and excel. Somehow only people from far away know what they are doing.

Jesus discovered this truth about life. He had been touring the small cities in Galilee teaching and healing and followed by large crowds. Then he made it to the town where he grew up. “People” said, “He’s just the son of a carpenter, what makes him so great?” They could not see what he had become. They could only see what he had been–a little boy learning from his father. And Mark says that he could do no great miracles, only healing a few people.

Malcolm Gladwell in his book, “The Tipping Point,” discusses the spread of ideas (taken from a study of the spread of epidemics). One of his three points is “The Power of Context.” The environment around you has great impact on you and the work you can do. It affected Jesus. It affects you, too. Surround yourself with negative people, and you will find it hard to succeed.

That is one of the potentials of church that often falls short. If your church, which is your support group, is negative, does not encourage everyone to use their talents to the fullest, then every individual who wants to make a difference is affected by the disease of despair or disillusionment. However, a faith group intent on encouraging each other to exercise the fullest of their talents can generate awesome results.

The concept of an “unconference” is one where you go to a conference that is not highly organized, but that participants determine what they want to discuss (within the bounds of the conference organizer) and then go to the small groups where the indepth discussion takes place. There is the “Law of Two Feet.” If you are in a discussion where you are neither participating or learning, walk to another group.

If you are in a community that discourages your initiative, use the Law of Two Feet. Find one that is supportive.

Here is an intriguing post about becoming a “leadership benediction.” I have been writing on how many people feel so powerless–even in a rich nation when they are (compared to most of the world) rich themselves. I’ve even read a book where the research was around how, for so many people, the more they have the worse they feel.

This post on leadership shows the power of a leader to bless someone else. To serve others, recognizing what others are going and taking some of the burden. Here’s a selection. My wish is that you absorb some of this wisdom into your daily life.

I encourage you to begin thinking about your leadership in terms of benediction. How can the influence and authority you are entrusted with be stewarded as a blessing to others? Jesus spoke of this leadership perspective when he said, “the greatest among you must be the servant.”

In their book, Resonant Leadership Annie McKee and Richard E. Boyatzis describe “the sacrifice syndrome.” To be an effective leader a person must make a tangible contribution to the enterprise they lead. This investment comes with a cost of energy, time, and resources. The depleting of resources must be invigorated by intentional renewal or resonant leadership that inspires others will degenerate into dissonant leadership that irritates folks. Boyatzis and McKee go on to describe studies that show renewal happens through “mindfulness, hope, and compassion.”