Spiritual Leadership (Part 2)

Servant leadership requires the practice of certain disciplines. These disciplines are key elements of "abiding in Christ." They are progressive in nature as set forth below:

-Humility before Him.
-Seeking Him.
-Loving Him.
-Serving Him.
-Exalting Him.
-Accountability to Him.

The key characteristic of servant leadership is "humility". Why? Because, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" according to James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5). What is pride? Pride is simply the belief that I can do anything for God without His involvement. On the other hand, humility is the belief that "apart from Him, I can do nothing" as we read in John 15:5. In a nutshell, it's the heartfelt belief that I cannot do anything that reflects His works, love, and brings Him great glory without God working it through me. 

The degree of our "abiding in Him" is dependent upon the depth of our understanding of who the vine is and who we as branches are. In other words, the more we understand "who He is" and "who we are in Him", the more we can "abide in Him." The degree of our "abiding in Him" is dependent upon the depth of our understanding of His love, power, grace, faithfulness, mercy, compassion, patience, peace, and joy. Likewise, the degree of our "abiding in Him" is dependent upon the depth of our understanding of who we are in Christ and what He has bestowed upon us. The greater the depth of our understanding of these things, the greater will be the depth of our "abiding in Him."
Obviously, the beginning point for "abiding in Him" is seeking Him. Hebrews 11:6 vividly demonstrates this principle: "Without faith it's impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. "

The next discipline is loving Him. The Scriptures make it clear that our love for God is demonstrated by our obedience in John 14:15, 23-24; John 15:10; and 1 John 5:3. An obedience problem with God is really a love problem with God. If we are to be Christ-led, we must be willing to obey regardless of the cost. Obedience consists of three components:

(1) Acting or speaking when the Lord indicates, not before and not after.

(2) Understanding that partial obedience is disobedience.

(3) Do what He desire without grumbling, complaining, or whining.