Word of the Week - Servant Leadership
“Not so with you (my followers). Instead (of the way of this world), whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever want to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
I am on vacation with my wife Amy in Northern California at a wonderful place called Scott River Lodge www.scottriverlodge.com , see pic attached. We are having a wonderful and meaningful time together as we retreat and are renewed in our mind, body, and spirit. Even though it is a long way from our home in Birmingham, AL, I highly recommend it if you are looking for a get-away to enrich your relationship with the Lord and your spouse.
During my time here the Lord is continuing to do a deep work on my heart through the Holy Spirit as I remain in the season of being pruned and experience a sort of reset in my life. I am realizing more and more that I have walls that have been built up over time through the reality of life that need to be deconstructed piece by piece to allow me to realize the full potential of what God has for me, my marriage, family, ministry. The theme continues to be humility and love. Learning how to go to a new level in all areas of my life in all my relationships. Making Love, 1 Corinthians 13, the key force that underpins my day-to-day actions. Being more focused on loving and serving others ahead of being driven by results. Caring for others first before driving towards achieving goals and objectives. This is totally what Jesus modeled for us and what He expects of us as His followers, especially as we grow and mature in our walk of faith. I feel like the Lord is leading me to a new level of this in every area of my life. This is challenging for me, so I am spending time with the Lord asking Him to transform my heart and mind. I am currently reading/studying a book called “Servant Leadership in Action” – How you can Achieve Great Relationships and Results. Many would believe that these two things are in competition, but the truth as modeled by Jesus is when we put people ahead of our goals there is amazing fruit and benefits, especially over time. I truly believe this is the truth and there are lots of case studies that prove this to be true.
Due to my vacation, I am a bit off schedule, so I will be sending my “Word of the Week” when I get it put together, which will probably be later this evening or tomorrow. Over the next few weeks, I would like to share with you some of the truths I am learning from my study on Servant Leadership.
-Duane
