What does a leader’s commitment look like?

Luke 9:57-62As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Luke 14:27-28, 33“If you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. But don’t begin until you count the cost. . . . you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.”

Leaders must be the most committed of the group. Jesus’s high standards model the kind of commitment he expects in all areas of life, especially in our undivided loyalty to him. Leaders cannot expect special treatment. They are not exempt from the standards that apply to those they lead.

Mark 10:42-45Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Romans 6:13Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

Committed leaders should not lord it over others, but instead should seek to serve those they lead. Like all believers, they must give themselves to God’s service completely.