Leading Like Jesus- Preparing to Lead (Matthew 4)
Jesus had to overcome sin (The possibility of, not the reality of, for Him) in His own life before He was ready to lead. Unlike the ‘fake it ‘till you make it’ mentality of positive thinking, Jesus’ leadership is real. It is what the Post Modern world craves. He leads where He’s been. He leads because He’s done it. He has the answers.
To be a true leader like Jesus I must come victoriously through the trial of suffering and temptation. Jesus is a true high priest/leader/mediator like no other because He’s been there (Hebrews 4:14-16). That’s how He understands what we’re going through. His blood and His victory paved the way for our bold access to the throne of power.
There is something to be said for knowing the truth and applying it to situations you haven’t experienced, but a leader like Jesus has the scars of battle on his body and the ribbon of victory on his chest. He knows where to turn for the power and has defeated the evil one. He has been sobered to the deception of this world (I John 2:15-17) by the battlefield. The feel of the Armor of God is familiar to his shoulders and he has notches in his sword of the Spirit. It’s been bloodied through use, not just sharpened by study. Jesus prepared for leadership by facing the enemy and winning. As I do this, I am preparing to lead like Jesus. The sword of the Lord and of (Insert your name here…) Gregory!