Servant leadership, is a high value of House to House, and a value deeply ingrained in the teachings of Jesus. He emphasizes embodying a servant's role rather than seeking authority for a position of power. Servant leadership was modeled by Jesus himself through his acts of humility and selflessness towards others.
In the Bible, the act of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples is described in the Gospel of John 13:1-17. This moment is a powerful demonstration of humility and service, as Jesus, despite being their teacher and Lord, took on the role of a servant by washing the feet of his disciples.
“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 feet were not lightly dusty, no; they were quite filthy from walking in sandals through dirty and littered roads (my feet often get this way walking on dusty roads in Uganda in my flip flops). Jesus saw a need for clean feet to sit more comfortably at a meal, and rose to meet it with his disciples. Through serving his followers in this practical way, Jesus exemplifies a message of love, humility and serving one another with compassion.
3 Things Jesus did as a Servant Leader
Humility: Jesus exemplified humility by washing his disciples' feet, a task typically reserved for servants.
Compassion: He showed compassion towards the sick, the marginalized, and the needy, demonstrating empathy and care for others.
Sacrifice: Jesus willingly sacrificed his life for the salvation of all, embodying the ultimate act of selflessness and servant leadership.
As followers of Jesus we are urged to follow his example by prioritizing the needs of others over opportunities for power and recognition. We can try every day, in little ways and big, to embody the values of humility, compassion and sacrifice in our own life. Genuine leadership is bigger than titles and praise; it is grounded in the unwavering dedication to serve and elevate those around us. Let us mirror our leadership style after the ultimate servant leader, Jesus, who illustrated that true leadership is rooted in a heart of service.