The Servant Leadership Movement

In 1968 Kent Keith was a Christian high school student in Hawaii.  While in high school he got involved in student government and realized there was very little written material about servant leadership.  He organized a student leadership counsel and developed material to train high school students.  These Paradoxical Commandments were developed through the frustration of leading and training student leaders who were excited about going into the world and helping people only to come back beaten up by the very people they were trying to help.

Heritage Christian Center promotes the Servant Leadership Movement found in the scriptures today.

He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.  Mark 11:35

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

For more information see his website at  http://www.paradoxicalchristians.com

I’ve decided to dedicate my life to Jesus; I want to serve Him, but what should I do as I proceed down this new path?  The first step is to pray because the journey is not going to be easy.  Here is a start to your pray on becoming a minister for God…

• Thank God for allowing you to be part of the building of His Kingdom.
• Ask forgiveness for any part of you that wants to let others do the entire ministry and not do your part.
• Pray for His help in developing such a servant’s heart that you take greater joy in the accomplishments of God’s Kingdom than your own—just as a coach or parent takes joy in the success of those they’ve developed.
• Pray for guidance as you think through the areas of ministry that you can be a blessing in.
• Pray for strength as you face the criticism of those who resist change.
• Pray for patience as you deal with those who believe the ministry of the church is always for someone else to do.
• Pray for His’ timing as you advance down the path that God want to use you in.
• Pray for His’ endurance, as the journey takes longer than most people want.
• Thank Him in advance for the people that He is going to raise up, for all the ways He is going to help you along this path, and for a the great things the people of your church will accomplish as they serve in the ministries for which He created them.

Have you ever wondered what special abilities were given to you by God for His service?  This is your opportunity to discover that special ingredient God put into your spirit to be effective for Him.  I have faith in the Giftedness of All Believers.

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 1 Corinthians 12:27

All you have to do is to click here and it will take you to an online test that will quickly help you see the special gifting God has given to you.  Then, the goal is to find a place to use those abilities for the Lord.