There is a vast difference between authority and authoritarianism. We tend to have an allergic reation to authority these days, and it's largely due to bad experiences with authoritarian leadership.
Jesus calls us to a better way: leading by service.
The disciples had been arguing about which of them would hold the highest rank among the others. And Jesus took that opportunity to teach them the paradox of leadership. The key to leadership is that a true leader must be a servant.
Jesus illustrated this concept with a little child, turning the world's idea of leadership on its head. "Do you want to be the greatest in the Kingdom?" He was asking. "Then go and love a little child." That is a picture of true selfless service.
The Bible itself gives examples of leaders who were authoritarians and cared more for their own pleasure than for the glory of God and the people whom they ought to have served and cared for.
If you want to be a true leader in God's Kingdom, it doesn't start with you. It starts with those around you – your wife, your children, your church family, your employees, etc.
But Jesus wasn't just content to say what a leader should be. He actually showed it. He illustrated true servant leadership by humbling Himself, serving others, and dying for His people.
What kind of leader are you? Service takes sacrifice, but the Holy Spirit will enable you to do it!
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