Gospel-Shaped Leadership

A Christian leader must embody gospel grace. If he doesn’t, his leadership is no longer “Christian.” This kind of leadership — we’ll call it gospel-shaped leadership — imitates the way God relates to us through the gospel. These leaders benefit those in their care, just as God blesses all people — and especially His covenant children. Christian leaders are gracious: serving, giving, and blessing others. Their attitudes (thinking) align with Christian truth, and their affections (feelings) mirror Christ’s.

Christian leaders love selflessly like Christ, who “loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph. 5:25). They follow Jesus’ example, who as our Great Shepherd protects us, knows us, saves us, and seeks us (cf. John 10:7-16). They are patient, kind, humble, sacrificial, faithful, hope-filled, and persevering (cf. 1 Cor. 13). They try to care for others the way Jesus cares for His church.

Going forward, we will look at four components of gospel-shaped leadership:

• Christian leaders serve others
• Christian leaders are gracious
• Christian leaders draw people toward Christlikeness
• Christian leaders strengthen those in their care

A quick clarifying note. In these articles, we are thinking about what Christian leadership ought to be. Inevitably, this standard will be higher than any of us can reach. Often, we will fall short. Always, we will be less than we should be. If you examine your life, you may get discouraged. If you examine others’, you may become critical. Remember that only Christ led perfectly; we strive, imperfectly, to emulate His example.

Also remember that these basic principles apply to every sphere of Christian leadership, including fathers and mothers leading their children, husbands leading their wives, and pastors and elders leading the church. While we may connect these things most naturally to pastoral leadership, I have attempted to discuss them so that they can be easily applied in other areas as well.

Christian Leaders Serve

Probably the clearest mark of a Christ-following leader is that he serves those in his care. His primary goal is not gaining more status, nor building more clout, but simply to protect and provide for his people. He wants to benefit those under him, regardless of whether he gains personally. He gives his time and money for them. He sacrifices his privacy, his sovereignty over his own schedule, and his comforts and conveniences. He spends himself for them, just like Jesus did.

Someone has wisely said that a pastor should “smell like his sheep” because he is always around them. Or, as Peter puts it, they are always around him. He commands the church elders, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you” (1 Peter 5:2). He does not say that the elders are among the sheep, but that the sheep are among the elders. A spiritual shepherd allows and invites this. He welcomes his sheep into his life so he can serve them.

Similarly, fathers and mothers should serve their children.¹ In the early years, this looks like sleepless nights and countless diaper changes. As their children age, parents serve them not only by caring for their physical needs but also by training them in basic life skills, helping them develop godly character, and most importantly, teaching them who God is and how they can enjoy relating to Him. And even as their children become adults and start on their own, parents serve by answering questions, giving advice, and helping them navigate issues like dating, marriage, employment, financial responsibility, and so forth. In the parent-child relationship, parents should be more concerned about the health and happiness of their children than about their own. 

Leaders serve those in their care. The term “servant leadership” has varied in popularity over the years. Some people dislike it because it has been used of passive leaders who try to serve people by merely cleaning up behind them and staying out of the way. Others dislike it because it grates their desire to be in control.

But if we keep the proper balance by emphasizing both service and leadership, “servant leadership” puts us right in the center of how the Bible describes leadership. Some people lose the “servant” aspect and slip off into authoritarianism; others lose the “leadership” aspect and slip down the opposite slope of passivity. But when we bring both together, we get a picture of leadership that is out-front and decisive, yet doing everything for the sake of the followers. This leader is influencing people and moving them toward Christian maturity, but he does everything out of heartfelt affection for his people. Serving and leading are complimentary. So he leads as a way to serve them, and he serves them by leading them.

Christian Leaders are Gracious

A Christian leader must also be gracious toward those in his care. He loves and serves those whom he leads, whether or not they return his love. He follows God’s example, whose providential care is not limited to those who deserve it. God is “kind to the unthankful and evil” (Luke 6:35). He does not withhold His love even when the object of His love is unworthy. He loves those who don’t deserve it and cannot earn it. This is what gracious love is — blessing those who don’t deserve it. Leaders are called to manifest the same kind of love to those in their care.

Times of crisis provide some of the greatest opportunities for leaders to show one-directional, gospel love. When they are unappreciated, overlooked, and misunderstood — and even misrepresented and attacked — they continue to love, serve, and care for their people. In fact, it is precisely during these times that leaders can most clearly show gospel grace. The shepherd’s love is tested most acutely when a sheep bites him.

But love in a crisis is hard! Our sinful flesh rises up in self-defense, and it’s easy to justify either retreating or returning the attack. In moments like these, we must remember that “love” is the chief fruit of the Spirit. This kind of love takes us beyond our natural capacities as fallen humans. We need God’s help to be loving, and we will fall flat if we try to muster selfless love on our own.

As a parent, I find it is easy to love my boys when they are self-controlled and obedient — and much harder when they are obstinate, disrespectful, and outright rebellious. What I do in these moments teaches them what love is like. If I respond by being impatient, loud, and angry, I am teaching them that my love is conditional; it is given only when they obey. But there’s nothing special about this kind of love. As Jesus said in Matthew 5, even sinners love those who love them! If instead I control my selfish impulses and exercise patience and grace, I can teach them something of God’s gracious love to us. He is patient and kind even when we fail; I honor Him when I imitate Him toward my children. My leadership is Christ-like to the degree that I graciously love my children.

The same applies to every sphere of Christian leadership. Christian leadership is that form of leadership that embodies Christ-like, gracious love to all those in its care.

1.  This is not to abrogate biblically-instituted parental authority or to indicate that the children should be allowed to rule the home. It’s a matter of posture. Do parents think that their children exist primarily to benefit them, or do they think that they exist to care for, nurture, and train their children? ↩︎