Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:9–13
Over the last ten years we have realized that a relationship with Jesus is critical to leading like Jesus. We will not lead differently until we become different people through the transformation that results from a relationship with Jesus. We can’t lead like Jesus without following Jesus. We have also come to recognize that leading like Jesus is not possible by ourselves. We just can’t do it alone. Only through an intimate relationship with Jesus and experience with the habits that allow us to be with Him and focus on Him are our hearts transformed, our minds informed, and our behavior changed. What we do as leaders is a direct result of what has happened in our hearts and minds when we’ve spent time in the transforming presence of God.
In Part III we talked about the Being Habits of experiencing solitude, practicing prayer, knowing and applying Scripture, and maintaining supportive relationships—all practices that reinforce the central habit of accepting God’s love and abiding in it.
As we have continually said, if we want to lead like Jesus, we need to become more like Jesus. When we look at Jesus not only as our Savior and Lord, but as the One whom God wants us to emulate every day, we realize that we leaders must practice certain habits. In the book of James, for instance, we are encouraged to be “doers of the word,” and not merely “hearers” of it (1:22 ESV). In other words, we must move from being to doing. This shift is particularly important since we believe the next great movement in Christianity must be not just proclamation; it must be demonstration.
If we want people to believe what we believe, we must behave differently than nonbelievers do. Jesus put it this way: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
If we model our leadership after Jesus, it makes sense for us to look closely at five habits that characterized His interactions with people.
You’ll notice that obeying God and expressing His love is the central Doing Habit. The other four habits—grace, forgiveness, encouragement, and community—are His people’s expressions of God’s unconditional love.