20 October, Sunday — Exercising Servant Leadership

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isa 53:10-11
Heb 4:14-16
Mk 10:35-45

“For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve...”

Today’s Gospel challenges us to examine our own desires for recognition and authority. In contrast to the world where leaders are glorified with power and authority, Jesus’ call to greatness is a call to humility and serving others. We are invited to partake in the call of servant leadership, where leadership is exercised by putting others first, just as Jesus did for us.

In my own experience of service and leadership, the call to love and to die to self is a challenging, yet humbling journey. But this journey reminds me that what I do is not to glorify myself but to glorify God, and the talents that I have are meant to be shared to impact others. In this process, I have grown in faith and maturity.

One way which I have practised servant leadership is through mentorship, where the form of guidance I provide seeks to empower and not control. A lot of trust is required for this, because to let go of control would mean that our notions of safety and comfort would be challenged. Giving my mentee the freedom to explore and exercise her strengths meant that things were done differently and there were many opportunities to explore new ideas. It was a beautiful process to be able to watch my mentee grow from strength to strength and unlock new giftings. It was only possible because I was able to prioritise her growth over my own ‘personal achievements’.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Grace Yee)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I pray that you will grant me humility to continue exercising servant leadership and to be able to best love and serve the people that you have placed in my life.

Thanksgiving: Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me the graces and talents to be able to love and serve your people.