Day 23: Ephesians 1:2

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”



Two things about this passage really strike me. If you’re familiar with the way Paul begins his letters, you’ll find this phrase or a very similar phrase. It’s very apparent that Paul wishes this for the people that are receiving the letter. In fact, if we had Paul here today I think that he’d confirm that he really wants that for all people.


Second, it’s not about him. He didn’t wish them peace from Paul, he wished them peace from God.


This tells me two things about being a leader:


First, we should be worried about the people who “follow us.” It’s not enough to simply lead them. In today’s world, you may be a leader at a business, where people probably work for you. If you are a leader on a sports team, then people play for you. If you are the leader of a church, it’s a little different, but those people are still paying your salary. If we’re not careful, leadership becomes about what people that we lead can do for us. This is not the right attitude to have. Remember that Jesus said that we were to serve others. We are to look out for them, want the best for them, and strive to give them everything that we have. It’s almost a parental role. If we are looking at those we serve and asking what they can do for us, then we’re coming at it all wrong.


Second, Paul realizes that it’s not about him. If we are a Christian leader, especially in a Christian setting, people shouldn’t be following us at all, they should be following Jesus. Now, I know that sounds kind of funny, and of course they “follow” us, but where do we point them. Paul’s leadership didn’t point back to Paul, it pointed to Jesus. Our leadership should point to Jesus. Remember the old hymn “Let Others See Jesus in You?” This is how our leadership should be. In fact, this is how our lives should be.


As we learn to be leaders, and as we lead, make sure that it’s not about you at all. It’s about others, and it’s about God. Kinda rolls back to the royal command, doesn’t it? Everything does.


CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Leadership isn’t about the leader. A leader should be taking care of those they lead, and they should be pointing them to Jesus.


Here’s a set of verses for you to meditate on today: Mark 12:28-34


Prayer: Father, help me to lay less importance on myself and lead as you would have me to. Help me to care for those I lead. Help me to show You to them. Help me to become the last. In Christ’s Name, amen.