As I visited the workshop for repair work, I noticed the person in charge was overly dedicated to me. As I got talking with the person who recommended him, he said something striking; “This man no longer jokes with his work because one of his apprentices almost took over his business. People now prefer his apprentice to him, and he had to send him off.” I learnt about sustaining relevance.
Friend, leadership is about service; nothing more, nothing less. Relevance is about contribution, not position. There are people who occupy leadership positions, and there are those who occupy people’s hearts (Acts 9:36-41). One is obsessed with the power of position, and the other is preoccupied with the purpose of position, which is service (Psalms 78:70-72).
Leadership is service. No matter the height you attain in life, if you are not serving, you are not leading. I always tell leaders to avoid being promoted to redundancy (Judges 9:8-15). If promotion is not well managed, it can hinder you from serving. Actually, there is a service attached to every promotion. Only that people are more concerned with the promotion than the service.
People know who is truly leading them. While Saul was holding the position, David was the one truly leading (2 Samuel 5:1-3). He was the one people saw. They saw how he staked his life facing Goliath (1 Samuel 18:6-9). People are observing. Dear husband, your children know the real leader between you and your wife.
Dear Pastor, the congregation know who genuinely cares for them (Philippians 2:19-30). I hope you are one of such. Don’t be an executive pastor who only leads from an AC-tight office without getting to where the sheep are. Get your hands dirty, serving and leading the sheep. Dear church member, don’t wait until you are given a position before you serve. Heaven bears records of genuine service. God rewards service, not title (1 Corinthians 15:58, Hebrews 6:10).
To be relevant, you need to serve. To sustain relevance, you need to keep serving (Acts 13:36). Platforms might change, but service must remain. Status can change, but principles must remain. Don’t let success make your back so stiff that you can no longer bend it to serve (1 Samuel 15:17-19). As a leader, you don’t have to be threatened by the rise of others if you are committed to paying your own dues. Nobody can take your place if you are a true servant (Luke 22:24-27).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria