The Most Important Person in the Room

The greatest leaders are those that demonstrate humility and compassion.   That's the word of Jesus to His disciples James and John who were concerned about position and power.   In Mark chapter 10, He said:
(43) ...whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant ; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

This is not to say that we are not to serve the Lord - for we are told to humble ourselves before Him and abide in Christ.   This gives us some insight into Biblical servanthood - first of all, we are not condemned for  having a vision for accomplishing great things, but we have to approach our lives and actions with humility - not seeking power and prestige, riches and rewards, to call attention to ourselves, but to empty ourselves before the Lord and before others and allowing Christ to express His life through us.   He submitted Himself to the point of death for us, and He calls us to die to selfish desires so that He might be exalted through us.

In John 13, shortly before His death, Jesus presented an amazing example of servanthood AND leadership:
12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 "You call Me Teacher and Lord ; and you are right, for so I am. 14 "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 
CBN News posted an interesting piece yesterday about the lineup for the inauguration, pointing out that out of 7 musical arts on the bill, 2 were evangelical in nature.  The Lee University Festival Choir from Cleveland, Tennessee led off the festivities - composed of some 200 or so singers from a mix of choral ensembles at the school.    Also on the program was the beloved Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, with nearly 300 strong and with six Grammys and five Dove Awards under its belt.  The choir was selected last summer by Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York.  

Even though Passion founder Louie Giglio withdrew plans to give the benediction after critics complained about one of his past sermons on homosexuality, his childhood friend Andy Stanley was the keynote speaker at the pre-Inaugural worship service.  And, the National Prayer Service yesterday featured the pastor of the largest United Methodist congregation in America, Adam Hamilton of the Church of the Resurrection.

Christianity Today said that Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church, suggested the president should be called "pastor in chief"  for his leadership following the Sandy Hook shootings. He acknowledged the president’s influenced and prayed that Obama would “continue to leverage this influence for the sake of our nation and the sake of the world.”   Hamilton also made mention of Obama's oratorical skills, saying he should have been a preacher.  In his sermon, Hamilton used the life of Moses as a template - isolating 3 characteristics: humility and compassion, vision, and perseverance.  

In both sermons, there was a theme of servanthood - and faith.   Hamilton said:  "...in order for America to have a future, we will first need to find a deep and abiding faith in God. It is this faith that calls and compels us to humility and compassion and concern for the nobodies. It is this faith that helps us discover the kinds of visions that are worthy of our great nation and worthy of the sacrifices we can make. It is this faith that sustains us when we feel like giving up, a faith that comes from trusting in the words of Jesus who said, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Stanley posed the question, based on the example of Jesus in John 13, as he washed the disciples' feet: 
“What do you do, when you’re the most important person in the room?".  The answer: "You leverage that power for the benefit of other people in the room."   Then, he said to the president: “Mr. President you have an awfully big room.”  

You might say that this example doesn't apply to you - that you're not important or significant...but wait a minute, if Jesus is in you, and He is ALWAYS the most important person in the room, then that gives you a special role and opportunity.   If you are reliant on Him, you will be able to demonstrate servant-leadership, exuding humility and compassion, for the sake of the people around you.  We underestimate the strength of Jesus in us, but it's very real, and can be very compelling.   After all, He said that if He is lifted up, He will draw all people to Himself.   So, humble yourself, lift up Jesus, remember that He has an abiding purpose for you as you abide in Him, and be sensitive to the leadership of His Spirit, who will use you in a variety of situations for God's glory.