If You are Christian, Then You Should Be a Leader

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" Matthew 9:35, 37-38 NIV 

"He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness." Matthew 10:1 NIV

God has been stretching my awareness of how much this world needs Him. People are desperate for hope. They want more. They are sick of the empty and purposeless lives they are being sold, but they have no idea what they are missing. They turn to different things to fill that void and grow more frustrated with each failed attempt to feel complete. Many understand that love is what they need, but they often do not understand Whose love they need.
      The sad part is, people are dying to be loved, but they don't realize that they have a Savior who died for them because He loves them. They don't know the One who can complete them. Unfortunately, what they often do know about Him is an incomplete picture of who He is.
      There is so much work to be done and so many who want to hear about Him. The first verse shows how Jesus worked. He went to the people, taught them about God's true character and desires, and healed them with His love and faithfulness. There are people both knowingly and unknowingly searching for that today. The harvest is still plentiful, but at the same time, there are still few workers.
      Notice that Jesus told the disciples to pray for more workers, but that later He equipped them to go out and DO the work. Too many people are praying without doing their part.
       Don't just pray for workers, be one.
       We are seeing this lack in workers because people don't want to step up. Being a worker/leader requires great sacrifice. You can't live according to your own desires and effectively lead people to Him.
       Servanthood isn't for the whiny or entitled. You miss out on things to provide others with life, hope, and joy (to connect them with Him). You often don't get recognized. In fact, you get the opposite. You are criticized or treated with contempt.
        If you are looking for gratefulness, then this role is not for you.
        That's why people don't do it. They ignore God's call because they are prideful, selfish, and afraid to give up what they know. They don't want to lose control of their lives. 
        God calls us to be servants. In order to do that you have to be humble. You can't believe you are entitled to the best because that's when pride comes in. You have to know your place. You aren't the center of attention. You aren't the best. You don't know everything. HE is all those things. Once you understand that, you will be able to serve without expecting anything in return. It will all be for Him and His glory. You'll stop simply praying for answers and you'll let Him turn you into one.
        Honestly, it is scary and takes a lot of faith. You have to be willing to be uncomfortable and uncertain. You have to be willing to let go.
        You have a choice, but remember that your choices have consequences. Ignore His call long enough and He will someday ignore your pleas. He'll tell you He never knew you.
        Get to work before it's too late. Stop ignoring your role and masking it with holiness by asking God to send someone else to do what He is calling you to.
        A leader is just a person who has accepted their responsibility. It isn't a position that specific people are called to. We're all called to serve and lead people to Him.