Servant Leadership // How to Serve like Jesus and Other Women from the Bible
[00:00:00] Welcome back to another exciting episode of the Milk and Honey podcast. Today we are gonna dive deep into the powerful principles of servant leadership and discuss how we as Christian women can adopt this mindset to empower ourselves and others in our community. So I want you to grab your Bible, your favorite hot beverage, and let’s get started.
[00:00:19] So today I’m gonna reference three different scriptures. So we’re gonna go to John 13 mark 10, and Philippians two. So get your Bible and get a highlighter out. So in John 13, verses 12 to 17, Jesus teaches his disciples about humility and serve and leadership by washing their feet. I love this passage so much because it is the exact opposite of what it is we think of as leadership, right?
[00:00:47] So I really, I’ve got an N I V up here and I’m just gonna read through these really. It says when he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. Do you understand what I have done for you? He asked them, I really love this question because it’s, he challenged the very idea of leadership and is do you understand what I just did?
[00:01:08] Verse 13, you call me teacher and Lord and rightly so for that is what I am. Okay? So he acknowledges, Hey, I’m a leader. It’s like the butt, right? Do you understand what I’ve done for you and you call me teacher and Lord, right now that I, your Lord and teacher have washed your feet. You should also wash one another’s feet.
[00:01:30] I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I love that. Okay, so Jesus is listen, here’s the example. I’m teacher, I’m Lord, I’m master. But I washed your feet as an example for you of how you should serve other people. Very truly, I tell you, verse 16, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
[00:01:56] Now that you know these things, you’ll be blessed if you do them. I love this because this. Really a whole paragraph right on selfless service and invites us to reflect on our own leadership style and how is it that we are handling our leadership. I think this verse in particular encourages us to lead with humility and just to consider other people and it.
[00:02:25] It points out the fact that there’s no job that’s like too small for the leader, right? As a leader, you should be doing anything and there’s no job that’s beneath you. There’s no. You’re not like above anything, and I just think this is really important so that way the people that you are leading see this from the front, right?
[00:02:50] I think people need to see you leading from the front and the back. I know that’s something my husband talks about all the time because he is
[00:02:57] prior military and so that’s something he’s always talking about is. Lead from the front, right? You need to be an example to your people, right? Be somebody that they look to, but also lead from the back, right? If you are not willing to do that, then you know, if you’re not willing to do this job or that job, then they’re not going to be either, and so you have to lead from.
[00:03:25] Both places, and that’s what I think this passage does, is it teaches front end leadership and backend leadership. And so I just love this one. So moving on to Mark 10 45, it states that, and again, I’ve got an N I V for even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
[00:03:48] So I love this one, because this one, again, all it does is. Exemplify what it is that we’re supposed to do, right? Like we are supposed to strive for servant leadership, right? Because this verse is the full culmination of Jesus’ ministry, right? He sacrificed himself. For our salvation, and I’m not telling you that you need to go sacrifice yourself, but I do want to encourage you to put to just think about the needs of other people and what it is that they need.
[00:04:24] And how it is that you can be an instrument in helping them. And then lastly, I’m gonna turn to Philippians two versus three through four. And Paul offers this guidance to the believer saying, do nothing outta selfish ambition or vain conceit, rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interest, but each of you to the interest of others.
[00:04:47] And again, this is. A mindset of humility and service towards others. And I just, I love this because he is saying, do nothing outta selfish ambition or vain conceit. And so I have to frequently check my heart am I doing this because of the Lord or am I doing it because I want people to recognize me, like what is my intention with doing that?
[00:05:12] And so when we look at this humble mindset, this, sacrificial love, when we look at just serving just the way we can serve others, right? Because the way we think about leadership is different than the way the world thinks about leadership. So since we’re thinking about leadership differently, I wanna highlight just some Christian women who I.
[00:05:35] Exemplify what it means to be a servant leader. As Christian women, I think we’re called to exhibit a spirit of love and humility toward everyone around us, not just those who have the same beliefs and values as us. And so we have to strive to be examples of selfless service by looking at what it is that they need and what it is.
[00:05:57] That we can do to show them the pure love of Christ. And the only way we’re gonna do that is through servant leadership. And so I wanna look at some biblical examples of women who demonstrated some real servant leadership. So one of my favorite examples I think is Debra, right? She’s a prophetic, she’s a judge.
[00:06:18] All during ancient Israel, she, Was just the most courageous and humble people, and I just, I really love her story. I’m gonna encourage you to check out, go check out judges four and five to just read her story. But I really love what it is that Debra did. I wanna share just like a little bit about Deborah’s story because I think it is so important because Deborah demonstrates.
[00:06:49] These biblical leadership qualities that I think we can all learn from, right? So obviously she lived in an ancient Israel where social norms did not favor women being in leadership roles at all. But, and her story challenges the notion and demonstrates that gender is not a hindrance to one’s ability to serve in a leadership role, because I personally hear that all the time about how women don’t have a place in leadership solely because we are women.
[00:07:19] And I’ve heard it from pastors, I’ve heard it from other women. Go check out the I episode I did on Titus two and how it doesn’t. Women’s role and abilities. And so I really love that Deborah challenges this, right? Like I said, she’s a prophet, she’s a judge. She played this pivotal role in leading the Israelites to victory against our oppressors.
[00:07:39] She was known for her wisdom, courage, and humility, which made her super beloved among her, the people, right? She received counsel from the Lord and that helped her make really important decisions. One thing that I love so much about Deborah is that it is such a testament to the power of servant leadership because she wasn’t looking for glory for herself, but focused on serving her people with compassion and honesty and integrity, right?
[00:08:11] She took the time to listen to the concerns of those around her, and I think those qualities make her a role model for servant leaders. The other thing that I get from Deborah’s story is that it’s a reminder that God can use anyone to accomplish great things regardless of your gender or your background.
[00:08:29] Deborah was an inspiration and continues to be an inspiration. I’ve seen many commentaries try to diminish Deborah’s role just because they really struggle. Women in leadership and serving in this capacity. And I wanna just encourage you to never let somebody diminish your leadership capabilities and your ability to serve others.
[00:08:53] The next person I wanna highlight, she’s a favorite of mine is Esther. I did a whole study on Esther last summer and it was so fun just to, to look at what it is she was doing and here’s the crazy. Is that Esther never necessarily talks about God or her relationship to God. Her Uncle Mordecai does, but she doesn’t.
[00:09:16] However, we know that Esther had to have some sort of faith, right? Because she tells her people to fast and she’s gonna fast too. And it is her faith and wisdom and the sacrifice that she made, that this sacrifice is what ultimately saves her people, right? She. I don’t mean the line, right? If I perish.
[00:09:36] She was willing to have that same sort of sacrificial leadership that Jesus exemplifies for us, centuries leader here. And I just really love that example from Esther of how we leaders step up. Servant leaders will step. And do the hard thing. Do something courageous. Be brave and lean on the Lord in an interest to serve the people they serve, not to serve themselves.
[00:10:09] And then I wanna talk about like just some women that I know right now who are incredible servant leaders. Inside of Girl Power Alliance we have leadership programs and these women are incredible, right? These women are selflessly leading other women. They’re leading inside their homes, they’re restoring their marriages and just showing their children this love and unending grace.
[00:10:31] And it’s really special to see. Women stepping up and leading in this capacity, going out into the community and leading my, one of my friends, she started a program inside of Girl Power Alliance for 18 to 25 year olds to mentor and disciple them and to raise up other leaders to go and disciple them and raising up the next generation of leaders.
[00:10:57] And I just think it’s really powerful to watch and to be a part of women who are. Exemplifying and living out what it means to be a servant leader. And so I wanna encourage you to commit to examples of Jesus and Deborah and Esther, and other really great servant leaders. I want you to live out the words in Philippians two, three through four by putting others ahead of yourself and humbly serving those around you.
[00:11:25] And I wanna say by putting others ahead of yourself, that doesn’t mean become a doormat. That doesn’t mean. To neglect your needs, but to also go and do things outside of your comfort zone. Because you’re called to serve, right? As Christian women we’re called to lead, not with power and control, but with humble service.
[00:11:48] And so I just want to ask you this question. Do you feel a call in your heart to become more of a servant leader? Do you aspire to empower others in your community and grow closer to the Lord in the process? If so, then you should think about signing up for the next round of Radiant Leadership Academy.
[00:12:07] It’s a program designed to equip and inspire you to embrace your unique God-given leadership skills. So the next one actually starts April 11th, and then after that, there won’t be another one available till August the 15th. And so if you get in this week, It’s April the 10th when this episode drops.
[00:12:27] If you get in this week, you can still join. If not, you’re gonna have to wait until August. But there’s plenty of really cool things you could do in the meantime. So click the link in the show notes. Go visit me on Instagram, come check out me on Facebook, and we could talk about if this is the right fit for you.
[00:12:42] And I wanna, I just wanna remind you that the heart of a servant leader starts with a willingness to serve others and to embrace humility. And so I wanna encourage us all to go out and strive to live out the example of Jesus and cultivate a spirit of servant leadership in ourselves and our communities.
[00:13:00] So I am just thank you for listening today. I hope you loved it. May your hearts be stirred and maybe you’ll embrace the call of humble service. Until next time, God bless you.
Journal prompt for Christian women:
⚔ 📒📓 Write about a time when someone lead you by serving you. How did that make you feel? What was the impact of that leadership?
⚔ 📒📓 What is one way you can serve your family this week using a servant leader heart posture?
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For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many: Mark 10:45
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