Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Family Servants

It's been a long time since I posted a blog.  I recently started a men's group on Facebook. I created it to encourage and challenge the men in the group.Well recently I've had 1 Corinthians 11:1 on my
heart.
1 Corinthians 11:1
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11 Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).

So I'm posting several small studies on how this verse applies to us leading our families.

If you are interested in joining the men's group you can find it at https://www.facebook.com/groups/actlikemenrlc/

This was the first post on being servant leaders to our families.

Family Servants




Philippians 2:6-7
New International Version (NIV)
Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[
b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
John 13:3-5
Amplified Bible (AMP)
[That] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God,
Got up from supper, took off His garments, and taking a [servant’s] towel, He fastened it around His waist.
Then He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the [servant’s] towel with which He was girded.
If Jesus is our ultimate example then we need to follow his lead.

Philippians 2:5

New International Version (NIV)
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
 To be the men that our family needs we need to become servant leaders to them.
So what is a servant leader?
In the Greek the word for servant is duolos which means.
  1. a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
    1. a slave
    2. metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
    3. devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests
  2. a servant, attendant
The Hebrew word for leader is "nagiyd." It pictures a person under authority who fulfills the wishes of that authority. God wants leaders who will listen to His will and execute it faithfully with divinely appointed authority. The related Greek word for leadership is "diakonia." This literally means serving at tables.
Servant leadership is both a leadership philosophy and set of leadership practices. Traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid.” By comparison, the servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.
Scholars generally agree that these characteristics are central to the development of a servant-leader:
  • Listening: A servant leader puts the emphasis upon listening effectively to others.
  • Empathy: A servant leader needs to understand others' feelings and perspectives.
  • Healing: A servant leader helps foster each person's emotional and spiritual health and wholeness.
  • Awareness: A servant leader understands his or her own values and feelings, strengths and weaknesses.
  • Persuasion: A servant leader influences others through their persuasiveness.
  • Conceptualization: A servant leader needs to integrate present realities and future possibilities.
  • Stewardship: A servant leader is a steward who holds a families resources in trust for the greater good.
  • Commitment to the growth of people: A servant leader is responsible for serving the need of others.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Luke 2:26
26 But this is not to be so with you; on the contrary, let him who is the greatest among you become like the youngest, and him who is the chief and leader like one who serves.
"A Godly Leader finds strength by realizing his weakness, finds authority by being under authority, finds direction by laying down his own plans, finds vision by seeing the needs of others, finds credibility by being an example, finds loyalty by expressing compassion, finds honor by being faithful, finds greatness by being a servant."
--Roy Lessin
According to John Maxwell
“True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned.  It comes only from influence, and that can’t be mandated.  It must be earned.  The only thing a title can buy is a little time – either to increase your level of influence with others or to erase it.”
So men lets step up step up into our roles as servant leaders.  Our families are waiting for us to.

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