If You Want to Lead, You Have to Serve

“And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.” (Neh. 3:5 ESV)

As soon as we entered the building, we knew something wasn’t right.

I was teaching kindergarten in a trailer-like building behind the church sanctuary and elementary school. When we arrived at school one morning, we found our classrooms in disarray. Vandals had emptied candy jars and glued down items on the teachers’ desks. The pranksters probably had a good laugh, imagining the teachers attempting to lift a stapler or tape dispenser, only to find it stuck to the desk.

But the piece de resistance was a smelly brown pile in the middle of the hallway. Yep. The vandals left us a big pile of dog mess.

Given the nature of the damage, it was obvious the culprits were juveniles. We called the police to report the break-in, and we alerted the pastor of the church. After the police left, the teachers discussed what could have been done to avoid the break-in.

And while we stood around complaining because we didn’t have an alarm system, wondering how the vandals got in, and expressing indignation over the entire affair, the pastor quietly did what needed to be done.

He bent down and cleaned up the offending brown pile in the hallway.

This incident happened decades ago, so I don’t even remember the pastor’s name anymore. Yet even after all these years, his simple act of humility and service remains etched in my mind.

If we want to serve the Lord, sometimes we have to stoop down and do the dirty work, the mundane, unglamorous, thankless job.

I thought about this as I read the little sentence about the Tekoite nobles in the book of Nehemiah. After seventy years of captivity in Babylon, in 538 B.C. the first group of exiles returned home. But the rebuilding process was slow, and years later, the walls around Jerusalem were still a shambles. In 445 B.C, Nehemiah led the people to rebuild the walls. Priests and merchants joined forces to get the work done. Temple servants, goldsmiths, and perfumers labored side by side. Fathers and sons, brothers and daughters all did their part. In the book of Nehemiah, chapter three lists name after name of those who mingled their sweat with mortar to accomplish the mission.

But squeezed in among the names of the contributors is a note about a group that didn’t help. The Tekoite nobles thought it was beneath their dignity to work on the wall.

I wonder if the rank and file of the Tekoites felt ashamed of the nobles, because verse 27 says that when the Tekoites finished their section of the wall, they undertook additional sections.

I wonder, too, how often we scorn menial jobs because we prefer prestigious assignments. We’re looking to be leaders and influencers; we want the jobs that come with recognition and perks. But Jesus beckons us to become his followers, and sometimes that means encountering rejection and persecution.

In Hebrew, Nehemiah 3:5 literally says, “the nobles would not put their necks” to the work of the Lord. The expression refers to an ox that refuses to put its neck in the yoke and do the work of plowing. Jesus used a similar word picture when he instructed us to take his yoke upon us and learn from him, for he is gentle and lowly in heart (Matt. 11:29).

When we look to Jesus for lessons on how to climb the ladder of success, he teaches us how to stoop down and wash feet. In God’s kingdom, if you want to lead, you have to serve.

I wonder how much better off we’d be if we stopped arguing about what the government should do, what the church isn’t doing, and what those “other people” should have done. What if we all just cleaned up the mess in front of us, whether or not it’s in our job description? What if we each rebuilt the walls—and the relationships, families, and communities—in front of us?

What if we all set aside our self-importance and simply served?

Father, help us to lay aside our pride and do our part, however great or small that might be. Help us to follow your example of servant leadership.  Show us the good words you’ve prepared for us to do. As we work, remind us that we’re working to please you rather than to gain recognition. Amen.

Scripture for Reflection

“A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.” (Luke 22:24-27 ESV)

Reach for More

• Look for opportunities today to serve someone else.
• Help someone out, even if it’s not in your job description.
• Make a contribution, even if it seems too small to make a difference.
• Think about a problem that’s been bothering you. What action (great or small) can you take to improve the situation?

Margaret Kemp spends most days teaching a classroom full of lively five-and six-year-olds. She’s attracted to be fragrance of vanilla, the printed word, and all things blue and white. She delights in spending time with her husband and family, singing praises with her church choir peeps, and traveling. Her heart’s desire is to know God better and learn to trust him more. You can read more of her writing at MargaretKemp.com.

Photograph © William Mattson, used with permission