1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,
‘He catches the wise in their craftiness’,
and again,
‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are futile.’
So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Reflection - The Leader
It seems to me that the way to determine the honesty and integrity of a leader is to see if they get caught up in themselves or if they get caught up in following the mission or purpose set before all the people. A person that gets caught up in themselves, including myself, but doesn't permit Christ to break them free of themselves becomes a dangerous person to follow. If the actions and the way of words come from an "I" perspective; then this person may not be a valuable leader but rather just a proponent of themselves.
But when I see or hear of a person that recognizes this issue, that anyone can fall prey to in a successful life, and a person that moves away from working only to advance one's self but to pull towards a common goal as a worker with all the people towards that common goal; then I begin to see a leader.
A leader that realizes the purpose and the mission as larger than any part, but also realizes the value of the people in the unique skills they possess, combine in all the parts to work towards the purpose and the mission, is the leader to follow.
It's here that I think of Jesus. I think of Paul and I think of the passage above. The foundation that our One true leader gave to us was the foundation of his active generosity in giving his life for our sin and rising to a new life in unity with God. Jesus' saving grace is the purpose and the mission. The love of Christ becomes our purpose and our mission. We are given unique gifts by the Holy Spirit towards this mission of love of God towards the love of our neighbor in order that all may come to rise again apart from oneself but in unity with God to a new life into eternity. A life due to what God has done, yet we are the recipients of the grace of our One true Leader, Jesus Christ.
So as we focus on our purpose and our mission to love Jesus and act out that love towards our neighbor; may all the world come, not to see us as the parts, but Jesus as the One through whom we receive forgiveness of sin... salvation from sin... and an eternal life with God in full relationship with God in and through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
This song reminds me of the focus we have in and on and through Jesus our Savior.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqSQvoinDE4
Prayer
May all I do reflect you glory and honor towards your mission and your purpose in my life and the life of your Church... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment