The ultimate example of a perfect leader is our Savior, Jesus Christ. His life was full of love, teaching, and motivating others to do as He did. His life was dedicated to the service of others.
Why did Christ serve everyone He met? Christ tells us that He was doing the work of His Father. This work can be found in Moses 1:39: "For behold this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Christ's motive for performing his service was to do all He could to bring us back to our Heavenly Father. He put the needs of those around Him before His own. He recognized that this was His duty as the Savior of the world. His Atonement was for us. Everything Christ did, He did because He wanted to help us, His brothers and sisters.
So why do I serve others? Often times, I serve knowing there will be some sort of prize or food at the end of the project. Sometimes I serve because someone else told me to do so. However, as I strive to become more like Christ, I must serve with His same purpose: to bring others closer to Christ and my Heavenly Father. I must serve because I want to, and because I recognize that it is my duty as a covenant member of His Church.
As a leader, I must put the needs of others before my own. In the booklet "Divine-Centered Leadership," Robert Millet states, "God's business is people. People are His most important product. It must be so with us." I need to constantly remember that each person I meet has the right to be treated as a divine being with a divine potential. Every person I see, talk to, or interact with is my brother or sister. I must treat them as such and get to know them as I know my own family members. To get to know each heart, a leader should spend time with the person. That's exactly what Christ did: He spent time among the people and came to know each of them personally. I must do the same.
In Mosiah 2:17, we are told that as we serve others we are also in the service of God. Think of the joy our Heavenly Father must feel when we help one another and lift each other up from the hard times of this life! He loves each of us and wants us to feel that love (or charity) towards each other. Love and service are inseparable; as we serve, our love for one another increases, and as we love our fellow brothers and sisters we have a greater willingness to serve.
If nothing else can inspire me to willingly serve others, then I think of the promise that service will bring a greater degree of happiness into my life. In the lecture on Wednesday, we were taught that we should find a purpose of service in our future occupations; if I choose a profession where I can constantly serve others, I will be much happier. As I practice serving, the desire to serve more will come until I am daily seeking and praying for opportunities to help my brothers and sisters.
In closing, I'd like to share the scripture Doctrine and Covenants 4:2-3: "Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;" As I seek for the desire to serve those around me, Heavenly Father will bless me with a greater capacity to serve and will help me to develop a greater love for others.
That is being a leader: serving those around you because you want to. As you do this, you can feel an increase in the Spirit's power in your daily life, and you will have the incredible opportunity of bringing people closer to the Savior.
