Dignity

Bienhome Muivah *

Our natural tendency to judge and classify people leads us to make some wrong conclusions about the word “dignity”. Dignity is not something that you acquire or arrive at after years of outstanding accomplishments and achievement. You are not dignified because of your family name or reputation, or because you are well known to others. It’s not something you earn by becoming a doctor, a lawyer, or a successful businessperson.

Dignity is tied to the nature of being human. Dignity is the enormous weight and value that every person is born with because we are created in the image of God. Dignity is God’s signature written on the soul of every human being. There’s a clear indication that says, “Every person has weight and value because they bear My image”.

Here the point is simple and hopefully clear, we have no right to minimize or marginalize the value of any human being. Honestly, some of us treat our pets with more dignity than we do certain people.

Each of us is born with innate dignity because we are created in the image of God. And we are called to live lives that reflect the nobility of that identity. Our attitude toward every person should not devalue the image of God that is stamped on their souls. Every person is entitled to hold his or her head high and walk with certain confident steps because the God of the universe has created him or her in His image.

Dignity is an important word when we talk about servant leadership. Dignity gives nobility to serving. The responsibility of every leader is to be obedient to the call and at the same time enhance the dignity of those who work with him.

It is our job as a leader to cause those around us to feel their worth and value as those made in the image of God. Successful leaders don’t lead from power but from the posture of a servant. As a result he not only maintains the dignity of the people around him, but he also enhances it.

By the way it is dangerous to give someone a position before he is ready for it. Too much prominence and power is too great a temptation for many! I believe, you have seen more than a few people who were given positions of leadership that were beyond their ability to handle. Invariably, they began using their position to control others because they were afraid that their weaknesses and failures would be discovered. A lot of damage is done when the “position” becomes the identity and not the platform to advance the mission and to enhance the dignity of those who come in contact with them.

How did Jesus lead?

As followers of Christ, we should always consider Him as our model, our example in all things. So it is with leadership we can summarize the essence of Biblical leadership in one sentence, six words: It is to lead like Jesus. How did Jesus lead? How did he relate to those who followed Him, particularly His disciples? What can we learn? It is both simple and yet profound. Jesus led by serving. And He served because He was and is a servant. He demonstrated that there is a great dignity in being a servant leader.

Here are two moving passages in which we see the heart and passion of Jesus, the great servant leader. The first is Matthew 20:20-28. Look closely at these words: Notice how Jesus turns this request from a mother who wanted her sons to get the recognition that she felt they deserved-into a lesson about God-honoring leadership. The ten other disciples were upset at what they consider brazen audacity, and began politicking, and positioning themselves for prime spots in the kingdom. Jesus used this opportunity to define true greatness.

He did this by contrasting the approach and motivation of the “rulers of the Gentiles” (V. 25) with what should be the motivation of His followers. The “greatness” of the Gentile rulers was based on two things.

The first was position-the Gentiles “Lord it over them” (v.25). They were above the people and they let those under them know exactly where their place was. They took every opportunity to remind their subordinates that they should stay in their place.

Similarly, the “greatness” of these Gentiles rulers was based on power. Look at the expression “exercise authority over them” (v.25). They were quick to use the power they had. If you did not do what you were told, or you didn’t do what was expected, there was a price to be paid. The primary leadership tool was intimidation and fear. My way or the highway!

Once there was a man who held a position of leadership in an organization, and he constantly talked about his position and his authority to fire people. He just had to let people know how important he was. If you cross him, you’d pay for it. On more than a few occasions, he proved his point by giving subordinates their walking papers.

He was a frightened, insecure man who should have never been given any position of leadership. Why? Because he had not yet become a servant. He may have gone through the motions servanthood at times to make it appear that he was a servant leader, but he had not embraced it as an identity. Remember, serving is what servants do as part of their nature.

This is what Jesus defined as greatness. You must be a servant. You don’t just act like a servant; you must become one. You are only ready to lead when you stop trying to prove your worth and value based upon your position and power.

You are loved and embraced by your awesome God, and you cannot make Him love you anymore than He does. And because you are profoundly loved and valued by Him, you are free to be a channel of love and blessing to others.

You are free to serve!