The difference is … ego

I love reading books on leadership. I love attending conferences on leadership. I love being with leaders. I’ve done this all my life. Ever since as a 10 year old I pinned to the wall of my Dad’s garage, ’10 rules for being in Paul’s gang’ I have tried to become a better leader. However, I have found the major difference between leadership and being a shepherd is ego and I discover that by looking at Jesus.

“To the elders … be shepherds of God’s flock … And when the Chief Shepherd appears” (1 Peter 5 v 4)

It is hard to find an under-shepherd with an ego. You really need to stop being a shepherd to say the following: “I deserve this. I need this. I’m justified to have this. I need a fantasy moment because my world is too tough. Today is about me. It is my way or the high way. I will get people to do this whether they like me or not.” And the reason for that is because of Jesus who is the Chief Shepherd of our lives. The Chief Shepherd did not put himself first and even when the temptation to do so came he fought it with the Word of God (in the desert) and Prayer (Gethsemane).

Today you worship a Shepherd who Leads you, not a Leader who Shepherds you. The difference is huge. It is possible to have ego that is non-destructive for we all need to have self-worth and we must not have leaders beating themselves up living lives of unhealthy well-being. But Peter tells us when the Leader of the Church returns he will come as the Chief Shepherd, so elders/leaders … be shepherds … be like Him.