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Luke 22:26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
Since Queen Elizabeth II’s death, much has come out of her life, faith, and way she sought to be a servant-leader like Jesus. In the book, The Faith of Queen Elizabeth: The Poise, Grace, and Quiet Strength Behind the Crown,” Dudley Delffs brings out the desire of the late Queen to emulate Jesus’ words to serve.
Mark 10:42-45 And Jesus called them to Him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
It was said that one of the Queen’s favorite Bible stories is the one called the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) where the hero of the story helps someone in need, even at their own expense. Two others in the story should have helped. They were religious, and people who should have acted out the heart of God. They noticed the person in need and stepped on the other side of the road and walked on. Jesus told this story to illustrate what loving your neighbor looks like. Those religious leaders should have stopped to help. Jesus did on numerous occasions (see Luke 8:40-56, Matthew 9:27-29, John 5:1-9).
It seems that the higher up we are in leadership the more we should be serving others. From Delffs book, that is exactly what the Queen felt and practiced. Many who met the Queen experienced her kindness. She was great at asking insightful questions as she was genuinely interested the life and story of others. The Queen empathized with the hurting and sought to help when possible. She truly sought to follow Jesus’ example of a servant leader. How do we do that? How do we do that in a world where self-promotion, looking out for self, creating a good image, gaining likes and approvals online, and an extreme self-focus is encouraged and celebrated? Now sure most all of us are not at a royal level of leadership, yet each of us are leaders in our homes, at work, in our community, among family, even out and about our neighborhoods. We can lead out as servants. The Bible has some great help for us as we learn how to serve.
Be kind.
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Colossians 3:12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Be others focused.
Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
To look out for other interests is to get to know people. Ask questions about other’s lives, their dreams, their experiences, their hopes, their stories. Be genuinely attentive and interested in another’s life.
Be empathetic.
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Help when possible.
Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
I believe we bring great peace, love, and joy as we take on a role of a servant leader in whatever level of leadership we hold. Servant leadership works!
Church is a great place to learn from the example of Jesus’ servant leadership. The Queen attended church regularly! What about you? If you do not already have a church to attend, we would like to invite you to view or visit Neighborhood Church. We are a fun, welcoming church and would love for you to connect with us! Our website has all the information you need for times and locations of all our Sunday gatherings. You can also find us online at neighborhoodchurch.com. As well, if you would like to view any of our past worship gatherings or videos, visit our YouTube channel, or just search Neighborhood Church Cypress or Neighborhood Church Los Alamitos on their YouTube site.
Seeking to be more of a servant leader along with you,
Mike McKay, Lead Pastor Neighborhood Church
