Jesus the Great Disruptor

 

"In the process of redefining reality, Jesus was the great disrupter, who never apologized for the disruption. He simply broke in -- to intervene in the life of Israel and shakeup the control of the religious elite. In the words of Leighton Ford, Jesus 'became furious at a system which kept people from seeing things as they really were.' He broke the hold that evil had over the world and changed the course of history, inserting himself into the misery of the blind and hopelessness of the lost." 

Jesus lived, loved and led in radical and transformative ways. Every day we as Jesus-followers have to make a difficult decision. We must decide whether to accept reality as Jesus presents it or search for another framing of reality to guide our decision making. 

Todd Poulter makes an excellent case for the former in his new book "Learning to Lead at the Feet of Jesus." His big idea is summed up in the closing line of chapter 1, "To be an authentic Christian leader is first, and always, to be a dedicated Christian follower."

His challenge is a significant one. When we think about leadership, we tend to focus on the skills, mindsets and abilities that someone needs to lead others. But seldom do we think about the fact that everyone who leads also follows. And who we follow actually says a lot about how we lead. 

Following Jesus closely will form us into a leader that is actively advancing the Kingdom. We will lead out of Jesus' priorities rather than our own. We will practice leadership in ways that mirror how Jesus lived. 

Todd walks us through the way Jesus approached leadership and shows the reader that his vision for "shepherd leadership" is quite disruptive and innovative. One of the most helpful concepts was the description of the posture needed to lead like Jesus. Todd puts it this way, "...we can give God no greater honor or joy than to exercise our leadership as a continuous act of worship, carried out at the feet of Jesus..."

Jesus disrupted the world when he came. He turned the thinking of those he met upside down with a new set of priorities, perspectives and approaches. Over 2000 years later he is continuing to disrupt us each day that we spent in the Word. Why should leadership be any different? I encourage you to let Jesus reframe your thoughts on leadership through this wonderful book.