A High Bar
“To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed that you may learn wisdom and that you may not sin.”
When God offers authority, He sets the bar high. The first reading today lays out God’s expectations for His leaders. He says, “To you, therefore, O princes, are my words addressed that you may learn wisdom and that you may not sin.” He’s telling those princes, those who are rising in leadership, to pay attention.
He instructs His rising leaders to see what happened in the past and to learn from it. He warns them of the consequences of abusing their power, ignoring His guidance, and breaking the law. God asks His rising leaders to learn wisdom and avoid the sins of their fathers. He asks them to desire His words and instruction because…
Leadership is a privilege.
Sisters, we are like the young princes. We have an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of our fathers (and mothers) so that when we’re offered leadership, we can serve well. Some of our fathers and mothers have forgotten that leadership is a privilege, but we’ll learn from them.
When we’re called into positions of leadership, we will remember that leadership is not a right. Perhaps we think we’ve earned our place, and maybe we have, but that does not change the fact that when we’re called into leadership - we’re called into service.
Leadership is about service.
The best leaders lead by example. No matter what position they hold. God is clear in the first reading today - the bar is high for those in authority.
Because He’s given authority to each of us as His children, we’re called to be leaders in every place - from stacking chairs to giving talks, from sitting at fancy dinners to doing the dishes. Regardless of position, we are called to serve the Lord, and we’re called to serve the people He’s given to us.
We’re called to serve.
Sisters, I bet we’ve all seen leadership that is self-serving, and it’s not fun. That’s not the kind of leader I want to be, and I’ll bet that’s not the leader that you want to be.
I want to be a servant leader - to lay down my life for the people that God has charged me to love. Not to lord my power and authority over them, but to serve them - to lay down my life and to love them more than myself. I want to live up to the high bar.
Father,
Thank You for teaching us a new way. Father, thank You for sending good leaders to serve us and challenging leaders to teach us how to love.
Father, please help us to be better than the best leaders we have - not for our own glory, but for love of those You’ve given us to serve. Father, help us to remember that leadership isn’t for our own glory, but to serve.
Father, please raise us up into leaders - regardless of our stations and positions. Father, help us to be women of integrity that are willing to lay our lives down.
Father, we love You. Help us to demonstrate that love to the ones we serve. Amen.