Servant leadership is described as a leadership style that puts the needs of others first and desires to give to the community.
In a world where leaders are applauded for their resourcefulness, power, charisma, and ability to take charge, the idea of sacrificing personal glory in favor of showing humility and compassion is looked down upon.
But that is exactly the kind of leader God has called you to be as a pastor of His Church.
Jesus demonstrated servant leadership in every word and action, and you have been challenged with emulating His model as you strive to lead your congregation well.
1. Focus on the Needs of Your Flock
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus modeled what it looks like for a shepherd to focus on meeting the needs of his flock.
The Gospels are full of examples of Jesus taking time to meet people where they were and to provide for them in a way that only He could.
Even when he had somewhere to be (like on His way to heal Jairus’s daughter), He paused what He was doing to help the woman afflicted by blood because in that moment, she needed Him (Luke 8:40-56).
As a pastor, you are called to emulate the Good Shepherd through your actions. While you may not be able to heal someone tangibly (although God can certainly heal physical ailments through you if He chooses to), you can echo that example by focusing on what your congregation needs.
That may mean coming home early from a vacation to sit with someone in their final hours, bringing someone into your home when they have nowhere else to go, or just taking a few minutes to pray with someone who is struggling.
There will be times when you feel overwhelmed (as Jesus did) and need to take some time for yourself to decompress (Jesus did that too). However, a servant leader understands what it means to put the needs of others above their own.
Jesus showed us time and again that, no matter what He was doing, He always made time for His people.
2. Demonstrate Humble Service
When you’re in any kind of leadership position, especially within a large congregation where it’s challenging to know every person, you tend to become a bit of a local celebrity.
People know your name and your face, who your family members are, what you bought at the grocery store last week, what you posted on social media, and how you responded when something unexpected happened.
But when people know who you are and look up to you as an example to follow, it’s tempting to seek personal glory and recognition through your words and actions rather than pointing to the One who made you.
Jesus gave us a beautiful example of servant leadership when He demonstrated humble service by washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17).
During the time Jesus walked the earth, walking was the primary mode of transportation. A person’s feet got dusty and dirty with every step, and the task of washing one’s feet was often the job of the lowliest servant.
Yet the Savior of the world brought Himself low to show His tender love and care for those who loved Him.
Jesus repeatedly pointed to the Father as the source of His authority and power (John 8:21-30). Even though He was doing incredible things, He knew that it wasn’t by His own strength. He gave credit to the Father and humbled Himself before mankind, showing us what it looks like to do everything for God’s glory rather than our own.
To be a servant leader, you must be willing to submit to God’s direction and authority and continually point others to Him through your words and deeds.
There is no room for the desire for personal glory in the heart of a servant leader.
3. Prioritize Your Personal Discipleship Journey
Between feeding thousands of people, delivering the most powerful sermon in history, and healing the afflictions of all who came His way, Jesus always prioritized His personal relationship with God.
He regularly took time away from the crowds, and sometimes even from His disciples, to spend time with His Father (Mark 1:32-39).
They say you can’t pour from an empty cup, so to be a true servant leader, you must prioritize your own discipleship journey.
You can’t tell your congregation that they should spend time in the Word daily or pray continually or serve faithfully if you aren’t doing those things yourself.
As a pastor, your to-do list will never end. It may get shorter from time to time, but you’ll never be able to check every box all at once.
And when life gets busy, it gets easy to get caught up in the mundane and neglect the supernatural.
The idiom “out of sight, out of mind” is never truer than when a believer gets too overwhelmed by the physical world that they forget about the spiritual one.
Your personal relationship with the Creator or the universe is what allows you to be a good leader. He has gifted you with every skill and ability and has placed you in a position of authority to reflect His love and compassion on your congregation.
Being a servant leader isn’t about who can sacrifice the most for the sake of others (Jesus already won that title) or who can be the most humble (Jesus won that one, too!). To be a true servant leader with a heart like Jesus, you need to have a faithful and fruitful relationship with the Father, just like Jesus had.
4. Cover Your Congregation in Prayer
Prayer in the post-resurrection world is an incredible gift. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we now have a direct connection to God, allowing us to ask for anything at any time, anywhere.
Jesus routinely prayed for those around Him and interceded on their behalf (John 17:6-26).
Part of being a pastor is praying for and with the members of your church. Jesus demonstrated the importance of praying for those around you and showed us that no one is too important to spend time in prayer for others.
Even if you’re struggling to be a good leader in every other area of ministry, you can easily succeed at covering your congregation in prayer.
You know the needs of your flock and what their hearts long for. You know how you want to see your church grow and thrive. You know your community and where grace and compassion are needed most.
Bring your requests to the One who’s able to do exceedingly and abundantly more. Just as Jesus prayed for those under His leadership, you should also pray for those whom God has entrusted to your care.
Being a servant leader means recognizing that God is the One who can do all things. Bringing your requests to Him humbles you and helps keep your eyes on the Lord.
It isn’t easy being a good leader, and it’s even harder to be a good leader with the heart of a servant.
Jesus gave us the ultimate model of what servant leadership looks like, and while none of us will ever be able to copy Him perfectly, we can emulate His example and strive to lead like He did.
By focusing on the needs of your flock, demonstrating humble service, prioritizing your personal discipleship journey, and covering your congregation in prayer, you’ll be on your way to becoming the kind of leader God has called you to be.
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