Jesus Led by Serving

In this series, A Much-Needed Conversation About Masculinity, I’ve been exploring an important question about manhood: What does it mean to be a man who uses his masculine traits properly today? It is a question worth asking in a culture where manliness is often misunderstood, criticized, or confused. In the next post in the subset about The Traits of Jesus, we turn to another essential trait: leadership through service.

Our Role Model for Manhood

Throughout this series, I’ve stated that masculinity and manliness are not the problem. Jesus Christ challenges many traditional assumptions about masculinity. His everyday actions, relationships, and choices show us how to live as godly men by modeling how to use our masculine traits rather than the immature, selfish, boyish behaviors we see from so many guys today.

So far, I’ve already examined several of these traits: we’ve seen how Jesus Balanced His Masculine and Feminine Traits. Next, we examined how He Exhibited Courage Without Bravado. The last post described how Christ Managed His Emotions.

Now, let’s learn about a leadership style that shows you can lead without dominance, toughness, and control.

Leadership Redefined 

Our culture often measures leadership by position, authority, influence, or success. We may admire the man who commands a room, runs a successful business, leads a team, or earns others’ respect. There is nothing inherently wrong with these accomplishments. But Jesus challenges us to look beyond titles and outward appearances to understand what genuine leadership requires.

Jesus demonstrated His approach in a powerful moment with His disciples. In Mark 10:43–45, He taught that whoever wants to become great must become a servant. He explained that even He, the Son of Man, came not to be served but to serve and to give His life for others.

He also led by example. Jesus did not demand special treatment or insist that others recognize His importance. In fact, He taught, encouraged, challenged, healed, and cared for people who often had little status or influence. His authority was evident by His willingness to put the needs of others ahead of His own comfort and recognition.

Perhaps the clearest illustration is when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet (John 13:1–17). This was a task ordinarily associated with a servant, yet Jesus willingly performed it for those He led. He showed His disciples that leadership was not about being above others but about being willing to serve them.

Servant Leadership for Men

Servant leadership is a non-traditional management philosophy coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in his 1970 essay, “The Servant as Leader.” The primary goal of the leader is to serve their team, prioritize people’s growth and well-being, and share power rather than accumulate top-down control.

For men today, we do not need to be religious leaders or hold positions of authority to practice servant leadership. We can demonstrate it as husbands, fathers, sons, friends, coworkers, and members of our communities.

This means listening before assuming we have all the answers. It means using our strength and influence to protect and encourage others rather than control them. It means accepting responsibility when we make mistakes, giving credit to others, and offering help without expecting something in return.

Serving Shows Strength

One of my former work colleagues, Mark Deterding, writes in Leading Jesus’ Way: Become the Servant Leader God Created You to Be that we should not live a segmented life and leave our faith at home, but it should drive how we act at work, in the community, and with our family. This means serving like Jesus, who demonstrated conviction, courage, and authority. He confronted wrongdoing and used His masculine strength to serve a greater purpose, not to feed His ego.

Servant leadership does not mean avoiding difficult decisions. It does not mean becoming passive and letting others always lead. It especially does not mean allowing others to take advantage of us. Servant leadership means putting the needs of others ahead of ours and striving for righteousness. 

Becoming Men Who Serve

As men, we can ask ourselves whether the people in our care feel respected, supported, and encouraged to grow. Do our families and friends experience our leadership as a source of security and strength, or do they feel pressured to meet our expectations? Are we more concerned about receiving recognition or making a meaningful difference?

These questions help us move beyond simply appearing strong to becoming men whose strength benefits others. It is measured by how faithfully we serve those in our care. It is revealed in our willingness to take responsibility and set aside our egos. Leadership is not simply defined by who follows us, but by how we put the needs of others ahead of our own interests.

We will never lead perfectly. But we can keep learning, growing, and seeking to use our masculine traits in ways that reflect the character of Jesus, especially learning to lead by standing beside others, lifting them up, and making sacrifices when needed.

[Featured Image by ChatGPT]