Good Morning Friends,
“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who
loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call
attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied
with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to
do so and puts them out of the church.” (3 John 1:9-10)
Not everyone in the church has pure motives.
John wrote about a man named Diotrephes who “loves to be first.” His motives
were about himself. He was a leader in the church, not because of what he could
give or how that enabled him to serve the Lord, but because of what he got out
of it. It stroked his ego and gave him a platform through which to get his way
and gain the attention that he desired.
The negative motive mentioned by John is not
the only negative motive that prompts some to seek leadership in the church.
Some seek roles for the salary they receive from them. Some for the business
connections they can make. Some serve because of pride and some serve because
they need others to approve of them.
The heart of a godly leader is about service
to the Lord and about service to those God loves.
Godly leaders follow the example of Jesus –
who came “not to be served, but to serve.” (Matthew 20:28) Godly leaders follow
the instructions of Peter – “not because you must, but because you are willing;
not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over others, but as
examples.” (1 Peter 5:2-3)
That is the kind of leaders we should look
for and follow. That’s the kind of leaders we should be if God entrusts us with
a leadership role.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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