You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you and it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. Mark 10:42–44 (NLT) Do you ever get frustrated with the people you lead? Using more authoritarian techniques can seem like a much easier way to get people to do what you want them to do, but servant leadership is the better way. Jesus said this thousands of years ago, but recent studies also prove it. For example, a study published in the July, 2011 edition of the Journal …

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 (NLT) When Jesus first brought the concept of “servant leadership” to the world, it blew people away. At the time, the Romans led the Israeli people by domination and fear. They didn’t serve people; they demanded submission. The Israelis were accustomed to this leadership style, so they expected their Saviour to take over, not to serve. But Jesus’ way of leading proved to be so much better. Being a servant leader didn’t mean that Jesus allowed others to dominate Him. In fact, no one took His life from Him; He laid it down willingly (John 10:18). He demonstrated how …

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Ephesians 5:1–2 (NLT) One thing that was very apparent in my dad was his love for Jesus. Just mentioning the name Jesus would cause his face to light up, and he said Jesus’ name like it was a term of endearment. He loved God with all his heart. His work as a pastor was a labour of love. He pastored for decades and never let go of his passion and joy for the ministry—loving and sharing Jesus with people everywhere he went. How did he do …

When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. Romans 13:8–10 (MSG) If you’ve given your life to Jesus Christ, you are born again. Jesus lives inside you. But this Christian life will be hard if you do not develop your love walk, because you’ll be trying to obey God out of law instead of love. When you try to obey God out of law, you’ll tend to look for where the line is so you can stay just under it. You’ll ask things like, “What can and can’t I do?”, “Is it bad to swear?”, “What about the odd white lie?” You’ll be focused on figuring out all the rules. People who love don’t need a whole bunch of …

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Matthew 6:27 (NLT) Sometimes it can feel as though life is moving at the speed of light. If you feel like an ever-increasing list of commitments is taking over your time until there’s nothing left, you’re not alone. We hear a lot about difficulties working moms face in finding a balance between work and family life, but plenty of dads struggle with the exact same problem. According to a study performed by the Boston College Center for Work and Family, over 50 percent of dads would consider giving up their job to stay home with their kids if finances permitted. A similar study done by the Pew Research Center found that half of working …