Leading Like Jesus: A Call to Deny Ourselves
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)
These words from Jesus in Luke 9:23-24 hit like a challenge I can’t ignore. They make me think hard about what it means to lead and follow Him in my everyday life. As a Christian, I’m called to step up and show others what faith looks like—but not in a way that’s about me getting recognition. Jesus is clear: true leadership and discipleship mean putting Him first, even when it’s tough. It’s about sacrifice, humility, and pointing people to Him, not myself.
The world around us loves flashy leaders—the ones with big followings, viral posts, or shiny achievements. I feel that pull too. Whether it’s chasing likes on social media, grinding for a big win at school or work, or even wanting to be noticed at church, it’s easy to make leadership about me. Those things aren’t always bad, but they can mess me up if they start stealing my focus from Jesus. I’ve caught myself wanting recognition more than I want to reflect Christ, and that’s when I know I’m off track.
Jesus flips the script on what it means to lead. He says to “deny themselves and take up their cross daily” (Luke 9:23). That’s not a one-time thing—it’s a choice I have to make every day to put God’s will over my own wants. It means letting go of my need for attention or control and trusting Jesus’ plan instead. When I think about Jesus washing His disciples’ feet in John 13:1-17, I’m blown away. The King of everything got down on His knees to serve. That’s the kind of leader I want to be—one who loves, serves, and lifts others up without caring about the spotlight.
Being a Christian leader means constantly checking my motives. Am I doing this to make God look big, or to make myself look good? Am I helping people grow closer to Jesus, or am I just trying to build my own fan club? Those questions sting, but they keep me honest. Leading like Jesus means guiding others toward Him, not toward me. It’s about showing His love and compassion in how I treat people, whether I’m helping a friend, volunteering at church, or just being kind to someone who’s hard to love.
Jesus’ call to carry my cross daily isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. It’s about choosing to follow Him even when it costs me something—my pride, my comfort, my plans. When I live that way, it’s not just about my own faith growing; it’s about showing others what following Jesus looks like. True discipleship isn’t about getting a bunch of followers—it’s about chasing after Jesus with everything I’ve got and inviting others to join me on the journey.
So, here’s my commitment: I want to lead by serving, love by sacrificing, and follow Jesus by denying myself every day. I want my life to point people to Him, not me. What about you? How are you carrying your cross and leading others toward Jesus? Let’s keep pushing each other to live this out.