Philippians is the eleventh book in the New Testament. This Epistle from Paul of Tarsus happened as a result of his second missionary journey with Silas to Philippi in Greece (the first Christian community established in Europe) approximately between 49 and 51 AD. This Epistle was probably penned in Rome around 62 AD, which was about ten years after Paul's first visit to Philippi.
In the book of Philippians, we read a series of short vignettes revolving around the Messiah Poem in Philippians 2:6-11. The poem retells the gospel story and references Adam's rebellion from Genesis and the suffering servant in Isaiah. In each vignette, Paul uses words or ideas from the poem to show how living as a Christian means seeing our own story as a living expression of Jesus' story. While the main theme of this letter to the Philippians is all about joy, there are at least five helpful lessons about leadership in the letter as well:
1.
Boss or leader – Philippians
1:30 (ERV) says, “You saw the
difficulties I had to face, and you hear that I am still having troubles. Now
you must face them too.” Paul minimizes the distinction
between himself as the lead apostle and those he is leading by identifying with
them and “walking with them.” A boss says, “Go!” A leader says, “Let’s go!”
2.
Check
your attitude – Philippians 2:3
(ERV) says, “In whatever you do,
don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more
than yourselves. “ Just before he uses the example of Jesus’
self-sacrifice for our sins as our atoning substitute on the cross, Paul
encourages those he’s leading to not think of others as lesser, or even as
equals but actually “honor others more than yourselves.” That requires a degree of humility not usually
found in most leaders who tend to think of themselves as “special.”
3.
Check
your motives – Philippians 2:4
(ERV) says, “Don’t be interested only in your own life,
but care about the lives of others too.” It is easy for a leader
to get lost in their agenda, their goal, their passion, and totally miss the
vital interests of those they are leading. No one wants to be the tool of
a leader. Paul encourages leaders to take time to identify and address, even
advocate for the interests of others.
4.
Every
leader needs a mentor –
Philippians 3:17 (ERV) says, “Brothers
and sisters join together in following my example. Also, learn by watching
those who are living the way we showed you.” It
is frequently said, “Discipleship is best caught, not taught.” Paul understood
that and encouraged would-be leaders to carefully, deliberately follow his
example, and be willing to learn from other leaders who were also
following Paul’s example.
5.
Lead
by example –
Philippians 4:9 (ERV) says, “And do what you learned and received from
me—what I told you and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be
with you.” The primary way leaders
lead others is not by their words but by their example. Jesus understood
that principle: “I am your Lord and Teacher. But I washed
your feet. So you also should wash each other’s feet. “(John 13:14, ERV)
Leading by example
is the primary way that “Servant Leaders” — pastors, business executives,
church elders, school and university teachers, deacons, group and team leaders,
Bible teachers, volunteer coordinators influence others.”Don’t
be like a ruler over those you are responsible for. But be good examples to
them. “(1 Peter 5:3, ERV)
“Don’t let selfishness and prideful agendas
take over. Embrace true humility, and lift your heads to extend love to
others.” (Philippians
2:3, VOICE)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5
Leadership Lessons from Philippians” by Good News Bible Chapel
·
“About Philippians” by the Bible Project
·
“Epistle to the
Philippians” from Wikipedia
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