101

For a long time I operated under the idea that discipleship was a stepping stone to leadership. Although it is true that good leaders are good followers, the point of discipleship isn’t to become a leader. That’s a faulty foundation begging to crumble. Discipleship is to know God and make him known. Leadership happens when we make disciples–when we lead others to Jesus as we demonstrate what following him looks like.

Moses had a pattern, a discipline, of taking situations before the Lord.

And Moses said to them, Wait, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you. Numbers 9:8
Moses brought their case before the LORD. Numbers 27:5

This is Leadership 101, but even more, it is Discipleship 101. We are more likely to inquire in the Lord’s presence as leaders if we already do this as sons and daughters–as disciples. Some other examples of leaders doing this include Balaam, Jehoshaphat, David, and Daniel. It didn’t make them perfect leaders. That didn’t happen until Jesus. But it made them a different type of leader: wise and excellent, exemplary. Why? Because they were looking to the Lord.

The mistake we can make when a position or title of leadership, especially if it involves a paycheck, is given to us is trying to lead from any other place than Jesus’ feet. There is no graduation from humility and surrender. There is no title that exempts us from kneeling and gazing on Jesus, from becoming like him. What human could excuse us from that place? No one. Don’t give a person that power. Let’s stay at the feet of Jesus. Learn from him and lead from there.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5