Flip Side of Leadership

Leadership involves two-- the leader and the follower! A leader is not a leader unless others are following. Peter, in 1 Peter 5:1-4, addresses the leadership of the churches as an elder to the elders. He sets forth the kind of servant leadership they are to provide as they shepherd the flock of God. In 1 Peter 5:5, Peter turns his attention to the flip side of leadership and addresses the followers-- the younger and the entire congregation and sets forth the submissive, humble attitude they are to manifest as they follow their spiritual leadership. Submission is one of the foundational attitudes for believers in Christ. But as in other relationships, there are limits to one's submission to spiritual leaders. A spiritual leader derives his authority from God's Word, and if he should ever deviate from or add to God's Word demanding obedience to things not clearly specified in God's Word, one has the responsibility to obey God rather than man. But to be submissive, one need to be humble. As followers of Jesus, nothing is to be done through selfish ambition or deceit, but in lowliness of mind, we are to esteem others better than ourselves, looking out not only for our own interests, but for the interests of others. In humbling ourselves, we experience God's incredible grace that sustains us in ministry.