Proverbs 20:7
“The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.”
On the occasion of my husband’s birthday today, the following devotion is to honor him. I am eternally grateful to Almighty God for creating him to be my partner in life and the head of our family. Another role to which he has been called, besides husband and father, is as a servant leader.
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.” Jesus was conveying to them the preeminent role of servanthood in leadership. What exactly 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 has set my husband apart during his life—his devotion to country, his devotion to all who have been 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 would be able to meet challenges, bear much fruit, and, in turn, pass them to their own children. Through the years, he has been sought out by others who seek to benefit from his wisdom, discernment of spiritual truth, his ability to recognize problems and offer solutions, and have enjoyed his sense of humor. 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, those in the Navy, in the secular workplace, and 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, and may God be glorified through him.
Father God, thank You for giving Jesus as a model for servant leadership, which is greatly 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, workplace, and neighborhoods, and for the next generations to come. In the name of Jesus and for His sake, we pray. Amen.
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