EWE's A LEADERMay 14, 2000
Sermon by Rev. Laurel Bobb
EWE's A LEADER
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. That might not mean much to us who do not live in an agrarian society; we may have some idea, having learned as a child the concept that shepherds lead sheep. But what that means is a mystery to us. How does one go about leading sheep? What all is involved? What does it mean that Jesus is the Good Shepherd?
Since Jesus likens us to sheep and himself as the shepherd, we have some inkling that being a shepherd must have something to do with caring and leadership. We look to Jesus, then, to learn how we are to care for others, and how we are to lead. This is an appropriate topic for mother's day I believe, for those are things that all mothers, and fathers I suppose, need to learn how to do. And who better to learn from than the one who called himself the Good Shepherd.
I will be using the word mother for obvious reason on this day we lift up the important position of motherhood, that has been much maligned in our culture, but note that anything I say can be applied to fathers or aunts or uncles or teachers, or any of a number of individuals that are responsible for the care, nurture, and leadership of others. You can be a mother in faith whether or not you have given birth to the other. All you have to do is fill the role and you will be seen as the leader and in fact mother in faith you are. I had an elderly, never-married, childless woman as a second grade Sunday School teacher; she was a mother in faith to me. Mothers in faith are leaders. They are some of Christ's shepherds.
Today I will focus on the leadership aspect of shepherding because caring is an essential component of good leadership. In their joint effort Leadership by the Book, Ken Blanchard, Bill Hybels, and Phil Hodges suggest there are 3 checkpoints to being a good leader. The culled these points from their study of Scripture, particularly focusing on the life of Christ.
Their first point is that leadership begins with a servant heart. Jesus wonderfully portrayed what it means to have a servant heart. That is the caring part. He said, "The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." That is what he did for us. He died on the cross that we might not have to face eternal separation from God. He rose to give us the power to follow him and in turn lead others.
We are called to be willing to lay down our lives if necessary for the sake of those in our care. My maternal instincts are such that I would lay down my life for my children in a heartbeat. Most of you mothers would probably say the same thing. My children, like Jesus's sheep know they are loved because of this.
Good leaders, like good mothers put the best interest of those under their care as their prime concern. They gain their primary satisfaction from those they are responsible for growing and accomplishing their goals. Good leaders and good mothers also hold accountable those under their care. Jesus expected his sheep to follow and goes and brings them back when they stray. Just so, good leaders and good mothers do not allow their charges to do their own thing without restraint. Remember, however, this is in the context of a loving relationship in which the underling or sheep knows he or she is loved and cared for.
The authors second checkpoint is that leadership begins with clear vision and continues with follow-through. The shepherd needs to know where the water and good pasture is and the best route to get there. Leaders also need to have direction. This takes Scripture study and prayer, as well as learning about one's environment. You ve got to know where you are and what God's will is for you before you can set out in any direction.
A good leader or mother needs to know what the end goal should be and what steps it will take to get there. Good leaders and moms know what business they re in. But then they go one step further. They are able to put this into words and share with others what the family or organization would look like if things were running smoothly. They would know what part each person should play and in what progression things need to be done to accomplish the goals they have set.
They are not only concerned with the outcome, however; the process is important as well. They know the ends don't necessarily justify the means. We remember that Jesus wasn t willing to take any shortcuts to being the Messiah when Satan tempted him to do so in the wilderness. In the same way there are no shortcuts to shepherding a family or an organization. Mothering and leading is hard work. There is no substitue for puting in the time and effort required. The process is also just as important as the end result because that says a lot about the character of the family or organization and good charachter is an important goal to have.
The third checkpoint in Leadership by the Book is how the leader behaves.The Good Shepherd knew it wasn t always about getting the sheep to like everything about him. It's rather about getting them to follow. The behavior modeled and encouraged focuses more on spiritual significance than what the world might consider success. Mom's realize it's not how great a job your child grows up to have, or how much money they will make, nor is the leader concerned only with numbers and the bottom line. They look to see if the spiritual and service goals have been met as well.
Scripture tells us that Jesus asked his disciples, "What will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?" We need to get our priorities straight as leaders and as mothers. We need to keep the final goal in mind, and be concerned about the steps and the processes we use to get there. We want to be people of integrity.
William Fairlie wrote this of leaders, "Great leaders require no magic of any sort to be effective. They only need to exercise sound moral judgment in all situations and manifest good character. They make others feel safe and secure by their willingness personally to lay aside their own selfish interests.
These kind of leaders are rare. There are many who are supposed to lead, but fail the test when the going gets tough. True leaders have no problem attracting a devoted following who will in turn give of themselves for the cause. They are today's shepherds."[ William Fairlie, Emphasis, May-June 2000. Lima, Ohio:CSS Publishing]
These statements could characterize a good mother as well. We know the moms who have all the kids in the neighborhood at their house. That is a sign that others feel safe in their presence. They are the ones who listen to the kids and let them know they are valued. They are the ones who stand for something and by their example show that even when it's not popular, we need to be people of integrity. These stick it out even in the heights of teenage or young adult rebellion when none in their right mind would willingly show kindness to the child. These are mothers who have earned the name and the honor of being called a mom.
But whether or not you are a mom, each of you can be a leader. You can learn from the Good Shepherd how to lead those under your care. Then you can begin to put what you have learned into practice. May God grant all of us the grace to fulfill the leadership roles to which we have been called.
Copyright 2000 by Rev. Laurel Bobb