Leadership Principle #5 - Service

There's a military principles called, "Officers eat last." It's a phrase used by the US Marines that effectively means servant leadership. The senior leaders eat last when the unit has a meal together during field training and in certain combat situations. Its a practical way to show service to the ones they are leading.

I am a Youth Pastor at a church and yesterday we had our first youth group of the fall. We decided to have a dinner all together. As students started to arrive I began getting nervous that we weren't going to have enough food for everyone. So I asked our leadership team to wait at their table while everyone else was dismissed to get their food. And once all the kids had their food they could get there's. It pained me to see these leaders watching these kids eat really good food in front of them. There was pumpkin lasagna and apple salad and homemade bread and I knew they had all come hungry and hadn't eaten. And there was a chance that they might not get anything when it was their turn. But I was struck by the attitudes of these leaders. They were happy and patient to wait their turn. They were willing to put the needs of the students above their own physical needs. That's why we call them Leaders.

And it would have communicated something totally different if all these adults had pushed their way to the front of the line and taken half the lasagna and not left much for the students. But instead it showed real leadership that they were willing to give something up for someone else.

Real leadership is hard. But this is what we want from leaders. We want people to lead us who want to best for us. If we worked for a company and the boss said we all had to work hard so he can get rich and make more money we wouldn't be happy. And yet we see this in some of our leaders in the world today. They are just looking out for themselves and what will make them look good and make them money or give them power. Even if it means they have to sacrifice the good of the people they are leading.

But real leaders put the needs and wants of those under them before their own. And it's hard because it means you may have to give up what you want. You might have to give up your time or your money or energy and receive nothing in return. But you're doing it for the good of others.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What would it look like on this team for leaders to eat last?

2. What are some practical ways that we can serve one another?

3. Write out one way that you are going to serve someone else this week?

This week I will serve ___________ by doing ________________.