March 2022 | Attitude
Author John Maxwell says that, “everything rises or falls on leadership.” Show me a successful organization, business or family and I will show you successful leadership. The reason being is that leadership in any area and more than anything else determines success and failure. Now, I humbly ask that you allow me to add that, every leader rises and falls on their attitude. As a Christian leader next to becoming a follower of Jesus nothing can be more important than your attitude. Your attitude will make or break you, will heal or hurt you, will birth you followers or give you enemies, will birth success or lead you to failure.
The tendency is to talk about “the right attitude” in the context of a good and bad attitude or a positive or negative attitude. But the truth is that leaders will go through good and bad times, positive and negative times. What will keep you successfully leading is having a HUMBLE attitude. You see it wasn’t Jesus’ positive attitude that saw him through the crucifixion it was his attitude of humility that allowed the creator of the world to be hung on a cross by the created. Of course, it’s important to have a positive attitude but when push comes to shove, it’s not your positivism that will see you through, it will be your humility.
You must have the same ATTITUDE that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the HUMBLE position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he HUMBLED HIMSELF in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. – Philippians 2: 5-8 NLT
Defining Humility:
If you look up the meaning of humility in most dictionaries you’ll find that they use the word humble to define humility. For example, they define humility, as the quality or state of being humble. Well that’s not very helpful. The word humility has its origins in the Greek word humilis, which simply means, “low.” And that is exactly what Jesus did, He lowered himself, He came down from heaven not as a king but as a servant and not just for the sake of being down to earth. He did so in order to gain our trust. Because humility as exemplified by Jesus is, to live your life for a purpose greater than yourself.
Developing Humility :
We’re not born humble, quite the opposite when we’re born we’re extremely selfish. If we’re hungry, tired, cold, or hot we just start crying out for attention with absolutely no regard for anyone else. Therefore, humility is something that we’ll need to develop.
Humility is all about attitude, and an attitude of humility is developed through the habit of:
1. Self-awareness To become a humble leader you’re going to need to know who you are and who you are not. And, you’re going to need to know your talents and abilities and what you were designed to do best.
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit. – Proverbs 14:8 NKJ
Once you understand who you are and who you are not and once you understand your talents and abilities that is when humility happens, when you start to analyze how you can be useful for a purpose greater than yourself.
2. Meekness the awareness that it is not all about you, the discipline of living your life considering others as more important than yourself. Now, meekness does not mean that you think less of yourself it means that you think less about yourself and more about others. Meekness is developing the habit of using who you are and what you have for the benefit of others.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. – James 3:13 NIV
3. Mission humility is developed through the living out of your God inspired mission to lead people in a growing relationship with Jesus. Fulfilling your mission cannot be accomplished without humility. There will be good times and bad times. What will help keep you from developing pride in the good times will be the humility that comes from understanding and being committed to your mission. And, what will keep you going in the bad times will not necessarily be a positive attitude, but rather the humility that is inherent in the life of those leaders who are committed to a mission greater than themselves.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20 NIV