Proverbs 20:7:
“The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.”
To honor my husband who is celebrating his 75th Birthday today, a man who has demonstrated true servant leadership.
It is good to be reminded of what the Lord has to say about those who are in leadership positions, which includes fathers and, in particular, I am reminded of my husband, the father of our two daughters. Jesus was asked by one of his disciples about who would be the one to lead their group. Jesus answered (and I am paraphrasing here) “The one who serves you best shall be your leader.”
What is “servant leadership?” In their book, Lead Like Jesus, authors Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges share this, “The fruit of great servant leadership is realized when a leader seeks to send the next generation of leaders to meet the challenges of their season with all the wisdom, knowledge and spiritual resources he (or she) can provide.” It is my belief that this is what sets my husband apart—his devotion to country, his devotion to the men and women put in his charge, and his devotion to family—his “servant leadership.”
As a father he faithfully passed down to our daughters all the wisdom, knowledge and spiritual resources he could provide so that they could meet the challenges, bear much fruit and, in turn, pass them to their children. Through the years he has been sought out by others who seek to receive the benefit of his wisdom, his discernment of spiritual truth, his sense of humor, his ability to recognize a problem and ways to solve it. I believe the fruit of his servant leadership will live on in the lives of many who have been influenced, taught, mentored, served and loved by him. Those in our family, in the Navy, in the workplace, in our various churches and neighborhoods have all been touched by this remarkable servant leader. May he continue to be used by God and bear much fruit in the years to come.
Father God, thank you for giving Jesus as a model for servant leadership, that is much-needed by men in today’s world. May earthly fathers seek to follow His example by gaining all wisdom, knowledge and spiritual resources to equip them for the challenges ahead, not only in their own lives but for the sake of those they lead in their family, church, work place and neighborhoods, and for the next generation. In the name of Jesus and for His sake we pray. Amen.
