Motivated to Lead!

by Mark Lyons

The new school year is finally under way. Vision is high, new students are finding their way into your fellowship, and events are running full steam ahead. How are you doing as a leader? Are you sailing along smoothly, confident in your calling to serve the Lord?

Maybe you're doing fine, but, then again, maybe not. Some leaders - especially after all the early events are done - begin to feel the weight of responsibility, a creeping loneliness or an odd "distance" from other members of the group. What's going on? Our joys and struggles often stem from the way we view leadership itself.

Leadership has a hundred definitions in our culture, and you'll find all kinds of "help," ranging from witty, hip- pocket management tips to New Age self-actualization techniques.

But as Christians, we need to cut through the hype and ask, "What is effective biblical student leadership?" The answer isn't all that complicated: effective Christian leadership is being who God has made you, working with the gifts he gives you. It's not conforming to a particular leadership style or hero (not that useful models and good examples are to be ignored). It's not climbing a power ladder or winning a race. Biblical leadership isn't competitive. Instead, we have the freedom to be ourselves.

God's Word is full of stories about people who were faithful to God, learning to become people who followed after his heart, activating the gifts he gave them for the good of those around them. Think of the prophets, the apostles and Jesus himself. Leading wasn't something they sought for themselves or added to their lives like ill-fitting clothing. Rather, for these people and for us, being a leader is being a true servant of God.

A Rare Quality

Timothy, Paul's "son in the faith," is an example of a leader. To the Christians at Philippi, Paul wrote of Timothy, "For I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. All of them are seeking after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 2:20-21). Timothy was authentically interested in the well-being of others. What a remarkable quality! Where today can we find someone who is really interested in others without any other motive? Timothy's kind of caring qualities are rare on today's campus and in the world at large, and yet don't we all long for someone to be genuinely concerned about us? Biblical leadership is being honestly interested in others. It is servanthood.

Such selfless concern for others is a quality God wants to develop in us, for it is contrary to our nature. It's natural for us to be self-oriented and self-important. It's unnatural - and therefore a supernatural gift - for us to care about others. With God alive in us, we can love others without strings attached.

We're All Different!

Not only can God free us from our selfish ambitions, he also promises us the gifts we need to lead out in service. Passages like Romans 12:1-8, Ephesians 4:1-16 and 1 Corinthians 12 teach that we are gifted by God for the purpose of building others up, not competing against them.

In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, Paul writes that there are a variety of gifts and ways to use them in the body of believers, but that it's God who activates them in each of us for the common good. The Spirit allots to each one individually as he chooses (12:11). Then Paul uses the human body to illustrate that every Christian is, without question, a member of the larger body of Christ, indispensable regardless of what role he or she plays.

Given the diverse makeup of the early Corinthian church, this was good news! Perhaps the Corinthians began to give more freedom and flexibility to each other. With Christ as head of the body of believers, they could now function without the threat of being quenched or oppressed by others seeking glory or power. Maybe they started to work together better. Like the Corinthians and all the believers before us, we are the body of Christ together. The leaders of your fellowship don't all have the same function; give each other the freedom to do what God calls you to do. You'll exhibit maturity in leadership when you get along and work together well, as people of diverse gifts, callings and backgrounds.

Another Extreme

Not all leaders struggle with self-importance. Many wrestle with the flip side: "comparisonitis." You may find yourself wondering if you're as good at leading as all the accomplished folks around you seem to be. Here it's important to remember that leadership is not only service, but also discipleship: following after Jesus. That's the great equalizer. Regardless of our named position or role, we all serve him. If we live by the Spirit as Jesus' disciple, we need not compare ourselves with others (2 Corinthians 10:12). There is no hierarchy and therefore no need for jealousy or competition. We "just do it" for God.

If God equips us to communicate vision and direction, we are being leaders. If he prompts us to set up chairs, or to be friendly to newcomers, we are being leaders. Whether you're called to reserve a room, run a meeting, take out the trash, make decisions or disciple someone, you are being a leader because you're an example of one who is serving God through your gifts.

I know a student at Heidelberg College (Tiffin, Ohio) who exhibits this kind of leadership with delightful abandon. Kim jumped into the group doing the things leaders do. She came to chapter functions as often as she could and volunteered for different assignments. But as I got to know Kim, I found that she was doing things not because she desired status or wanted to fill a need of her own, but because she really was concerned about the fellowship. Students could tell that her life and gifts matched her words and actions. Kim values people, God and what InterVarsity stands for. She genuinely wants to see the fellowship flourish.

Avoiding the Traps

Since biblical leadership is contrary to our cultural environment and our nature, it's difficult to serve without double motives. Have you ever considered your own motives? Why did you say "yes" to the invitation to lead? Sometimes we serve as leaders for the wrong reasons, such as to gain prestige or self-esteem from our performance. At other times we serve because we think we ought to, even if we're not sure we're gifted for the position we fill. Organizations often have plenty of "slots" to fill, and some are desperate to fill them. The need is high, and the prestige can be tempting, but the deeper question of motivation still needs to be addressed.

How can we safeguard ourselves and each other from falling into these traps?

First, we must watch ourselves closely, especially what we teach about motivation (1 Timothy 4:16).
Second, we should be getting to know ourselves well enough to recognize the perils of pride.
Third, we need to remind ourselves of who we are in Christ: we are all made in God's image, and each of us is unique.
Fourth, we can try to live graciously with ourselves and others; God knows us completely and still loves us.
Finally, we can surround ourselves with friends who will ask us tough questions about our motivation (not in an accusing tone, but rather with gentle prodding that reminds us of God's heart and our priorities).

The best safeguard of all is simply knowing Jesus. Worship him. Meet him in his Word. Read about how he loved others and constantly loves you. Let him speak to you. Be transformed. Watch how he knew himself and served with pure motives. Take, for example, John 13:1-5, where Jesus washed the disciples' feet:

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

The disciples were astonished! Who was Jesus to stoop to slave-like humility and service? The answer is in the passage: Jesus knew who he was. He had no identity problems. He was not suffering from a lack of self-esteem. He knew the Father, and he knew that the Father knew him. His relationship with the Father was secure. He was not gaining performance points by obeying the Father; he was gaining joy! Despite the culture and context he was in, he continued to epitomize and model true leadership for us: Jesus served others.

Yes, the new school year is under way. How are you doing as a leader? Your motivation to lead comes from the freedom you have to be who you are in Christ. You'll have an impact on others not because you're copying someone else or grabbing for power, but rather because you're joyfully being you.

Not sure if you should lead? Be sure to also read Asking the Right Questions

Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this article for educational purposes provided this permission notice, and the copyright notice below are preserved on all copies. Not to be reprinted in any other publication without permission. © 1997 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship of the USA. All rights reserved. This article first appeared in the Fall 1997 issue of Student Leadership Journal®.

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