“I got a trophy today!” The little boy said when he got home. His father replied, “What was it for?” The little boy said, “We played a game. The whole class played. We got trophies.” The father said, “Oh good, son. I’m proud y’all worked hard and won.” His son, bewildered, said, “Won?!? We didn’t win. I don’t think anyone won. We just got them for playing.” The father said, “That’s not a trophy son, that’s a gift.” The boy didn’t understand what his father meant. He was still excited anyway.
Later on in life, the boy, now a young man, was struggling at his new job. He had worked his way up to be one of the main bosses. No one ever seemed to appreciate his efforts. He felt no one cared if he was there, and no one ever said, “Thank you.” One Saturday afternoon he sat and spoke to his father. As he spoke, he made mention of all his concerns. The father simply said, “Trophies for presents. Son, you got appreciation and applause for walking into class as a kid. Just for participation in a game, you got trophies. Remember when I said those were presents. They gave you a gift not an earned reward. Now you struggle not receiving the same thing. Leadership is not about appreciation. It’s about responsibility. It doesn’t matter how heavy the burden is. It only matters that you carry it.”
We want great reward for little effort. We demand great respect for our presence. We want “trophies for presence.” We don’t want to carry the burden or do the work. We have rewarded this for years. Now our society struggles. Our leadership found a space to be appreciated by their looks, words, and grand ideas. They have no intention of carrying a burden.
The burden we bear as leaders in this world for Christ is great. All we will be able to hear on the day of judgment is “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We have simply to do what was asked of us, this is why we are unprofitable. It is our reasonable sacrifice to bear this burden. For the most part the world will not care. God does. Carrying the burden of being a leader is being an example in words, deeds, and life so that we may save others and serve God. This is the greatest job in the world. Yes, it makes you different. It makes you stand out. It makes you not like the others. It also makes you a strong oak in a windstorm. You, by bearing this load, save souls by teaching and growing others. You also help your fellow leaders stay strong. There may not be many "thank you’s" or trophies for your work. It’s not about you. It’s about them. Jesus said, “the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost,” Luke 19:10. So have we, we have come to lead others to Christ.
-Steve Johnson
Comments