The nature and purpose of leadership has been misunderstood by mankind from time immemorial, and this is the reason why most people crave for leadership positions so much. Leadership, when viewed from the right perspective, can be very enslaving, because the frame and popularity that come along with it may take away your sleep and freedom. However, when God puts you in a leadership position, He will also give you the grace to conduct yourself appropriately to meet His expectations. God’s expectation of what leadership should be is explained by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 20:27. It is amazing that even the disciples did not understand God’s principles on leadership. This is evident in the fact that it was their agitation over who among them would occupy the highest position that led Jesus to explain what leadership really means.

From God’s perspective, leadership means to serve. It is no longer news that leadership in the Church today is out of tune with our Lord’s expectation to leaders being servants. Some leaders use their leadership position to oppress those under them. Proverbs 29:2 says:
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
It is dangerous for a leader to oppress his or her subordinates because as they groan and cry unto God under such leaders, heaven will respond and the consequences that follow might be devastating. This has led to the destruction of several people who held leadership positions.

Frankly speaking, From God’s perspective, leadership is synonymous to servitude. It is servitude because a leader is expected to be under God’s absolute control, living a life of total submission that is enslaved to doing God’s  will (Hebrews 10:7). A leader must lay aside personal freedom to take on the yoke of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29). As a leader, taking on the Lord’s yoke means you have relinquished control over the manner of your speech, the places you go to and the things you do. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself had to do all these as our leader (John 5:19, John 8:28, John 12:49). In John 5:30, He said:
“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

If you find yourself in a leadership position, you have to be careful of what you do with the privilege of leading God’s heritage, so that you will not be damned in the end (1st Peter 5:1-4).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.