“People could be divided roughly
into two groups,” says leadership expert Rob Asghar, “guests and hosts.” He
believes that many people seek authority positions because they think this will
make them the guest of honor at an endless series of banquets. But the opposite
is true. “If you’re a leader,” he writes, “you’re not the guest of honor
at the party. You’re the host.” And there’s a certain mindset that goes along
with being a good host. Hosts willingly play the role of providing everyone
with the best possible experience. They exude a warm, inviting spirit. And they
are outward-focused, more likely to compliment others than to seek out a
compliment.1
Jesus knew this, which is why he
said to his 12 disciples in the town of Capernaum, “Whoever wants to be first
must be last of all and servant of all.” According to Jesus, people who occupy
authority positions in the Christian community do not sit in seats of honor at
an endless series of banquets; instead, they find themselves serving others.
They end up acting as hosts to the very least of Christ’s brothers and sisters,
a role Jesus illustrated by placing a little child in the midst of the
disciples and saying, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” Jesus wants
us to act like hosts, not guests.
Playing the role of a host
Unfortunately,
we often forget this in the life of the church. Christians today frequently act
like guests when they come to church, focusing primarily on having a good time.
They enter the church and search for their friends. They quickly pass judgment
on the look of the sanctuary and the feel of the worship service. They listen
to the music and decide whether they enjoy it or not. They sip coffee after the
worship service and feel disappointed if it is not as good as Starbucks!
How different it would be for us to
think of ourselves as hosts. In th
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