The Christian Principal - The Son of a Carpenter (Part 4)

A buzz word I have heard over the last couple of years is "servant leader".   Administrators talk about being a servant leader to their kids, staffs and community to show they are invested in the well being of those around them and they are willing to serve to do so.  As a public school administrator, I would think that all of us exhibit the qualities of the servant leader but I would like to remind us of the servant nature of Christianity.  Service to others is implied in our faith.

Jesus Christ was not only the son of God but he was also the son of a carpenter.  There is a lot to be said about Joseph and what implications there are for all of us servant leaders.  On a personal note, I dislike the term "King of Kings" when referring to Christ.  I feel that God chose Joseph, as opposed to some more powerful man, to help further the lesson that we should be humble and be of service to God when we are called upon.  Joseph was given a huge task to father the son of God and accepted.  He could have left Mary by law but showed compassion to her.  This is the first example that God chose a perfect father figure for Jesus.  Joseph taught him his trade and was a righteous man.  Jesus even took on his mannerisms and attention to detail.  Joseph chose to walk in obedience of God despite the stigma it may have carried.  What an awesome example for the son of God.

How can we use this to guide us?  Lets look at this as a metaphor.  God sent the most precious thing he had to Earth and entrusted Joseph to lead and guide him.  Parents send their most precious things to us every day and expect us to lead and guide them.  Lets walk in obedience of God as Joseph did and lead and guide the best things we have in our communities.  Sounds like a simple metaphor but the example set for Jesus by Joseph is not a story to be overlooked.  This post could have easily been about the servant leadership of Christ and those stories are very abundant.  Often, it is the little known stories that can move us into the right direction and help us realize our purpose.

Let us review.  The Christian principal should make every effort to be compassionate, teach and practice forgiveness and set a Godly example for those who are under your care.  There are days that I fall short of this, but the pursuit of these things should carry on no matter what.  I felt strongly about writing these posts because there are great Christian men and women in our schools serving kids but feel that distinction does not belong in their school or is welcomed in their school.  I get complaints all the time that the problem with schools is that they are not allowed to pray and we don't swat them anymore.  Really, these are all excuses.  You may pray anytime and anywhere you want.  Principals can be Godly without pushing it on people.  We can be superheroes for God, hiding in plain sight as long as we are taking our faith with us everywhere we go.

Since posting the first in this series, I have gotten great feedback from fellow school administrators.  I even stumbled upon the Illinois Association of Christian Administrators.  Give these guys a look or a follow on Twitter.  I would like to thank my pastor, Robbey Smith, again for his support on this post.  He is a great example of servant leadership and Redemption Church is lucky to have him.  My hope is that I reassured some and maybe challenged the thinking of others.  I know it is my duty is to glorify God every day and I hope that I do this in my practice and example.