5-Day Devotional: True Leadership Is a Loving Sacrifice
By Stephen Puricelli
I attended a state university in rural Illinois. During my time there, the president of the university retired, making way for the search for a new university president. Within the student body, this process became intriguing to a lot of us, and gossip abounded about who would be chosen.
Ultimately, the university hired an outsider—an alumnus of the university, but not a current employee. Rumor had it that when the new president was interviewing for the position, he arrived to campus days before his interview. Once on campus, he kept a low profile so as to not be noticed. He met with the facilities staff, support staff, and students. He learned names and learned the culture and listened to stories. When asked by those he met, he just told them he would be interviewing for an open position at the university without alluding that he was interviewing for the position at the university.
The soon-to-be president impressed in his interview and received the job. From there, he set the tone as a servant leader—willing to assist students, staff, and faculty. He literally led by helping others. This had an impression on me as a senior in college. It was my last year studying mathematics before I graduated, and the new president of the university just happened to have done his doctoral work in mathematics. One day, I was studying in the hallway of the Math Department when the new president walked by. He paused, leaned over to me, and asked if I needed help. With several thousand students and hundreds of faculty under his leadership, he took the time to focus on just me.
That’s the image of leadership that the Bible gives us: self-sacrifice. In Jesus, we have the ultimate servant leader. He came into the world by being born in a barn, not a palace. His birth was announced by shepherds, not a royal messenger. His earthly family was poor, not rich. Not only did Jesus start His earthly life in humble beginnings, but Jesus consistently took the route of self-sacrifice. He identified with the lowly and the outcasts. Jesus was always willing to give His reputation away for the sake of serving those around Him. Often the social outsiders were trapped by their culture and society, but Jesus humbly offered a new way.
Jesus was never consumed with obtaining earthly stature or reputation. It’s not like He didn’t have the opportunity, because He did. Instead, Jesus remained obedient on earth to the heavenly purpose He was called to. He gave away abundant, never-ending love to all.
Even Jesus’ final days here on earth hardly looked like those of a king. He was killed as a criminal in a torturous, humiliating manner. Jesus entered the world humbly and exited the world humiliated. Yet, God exalted Him.
As a church, our calling is to follow in the footsteps of our Teacher, Savior, and Lord—Jesus Christ. May we choose to lead the way by sacrificially serving others in love.
DAY 1: JESUS GAVE HIMSELF AWAY
Read: Mark 10:32-45
Imagine what this must have been like for Jesus. He had just told the twelve that He would be mocked, flogged, and killed. Jesus, I’m sure, was distressed about what would come, and was probably in need of comfort, encouragement, and strength. Instead, James and John were too busy asking Him to grant them a special favor.
Respond: Most were expecting the Messiah to be an earthly king, but Jesus modeled a better way through service. When you think of what it means to be a leader, a king, or a master, what’s the first word that comes to mind? How does Jesus change your view?
DAY 2: THE KING WHO WAS A SLAVE
Read: John 13:1-17
In the First Century, the job of washing feet was reserved for the lowest of slaves. A dusty-road, sandal-walking culture made it difficult to keep feet clean. But Jesus—as Lord, King, and Messiah—took the posture of a slave! This is not the image that people had in mind for the coming Messiah!
Respond: What was Jesus teaching His disciples as He washed their feet? What is Jesus teaching you through this story?
DAY 3: HISTORY COLLIDING WITH DESTINY
Read: Ephesians 2:1-10
Dead to sin. Alive in Christ. Our history of sinful rebellion is one of self-destruction. But, to those who have true faith in Jesus our Savior, we have a destiny of everlasting life!
Respond: This passage details how, through Christ, we’ve been saved after being dead in our sin. Then this passage concludes with an action statement. According to verse 10, what comes after salvation? What are we to do as a worshipful response to our salvation?
DAY 4: THE MINDSET OF CHRIST
Read: Philippians 2:5-13
Most relationship issues (with family, coworkers, neighbors, etc.) center around selfish ambitions and desires. But, as this passage highlights, the relational issues are often resolved when our mindset shifts from self to sacrifice. When we prioritize serving others, it’s amazing how much less complicated our relationships become!
Respond: In verse 5, Paul tells us that we should have the same mindset as Christ Himself. As you read the remaining verses in this passage, list out the aspects of Jesus’ heart that are emphasized here. How do these attributes of Jesus demonstrate self-sacrifice?
DAY 5: A LIVING SACRIFICE
Read: Romans 12:1-5
The final step in living a life of Christ-centered service is ultimately seeing your life as a sacrifice unto God. Jesus served others and ultimately served people from every tongue, tribe, and nation with His death and resurrection. His service was that of complete sacrifice.
Respond: In Romans 12:1 NIV, it says “...in view of God’s mercy...” How does God’s mercy toward us offer motivation to live sacrificially?