Benedict’s Ladder of Humility is the centerpiece of his Rule of Life. The band of brothers who followed him into the movement now known by his name, made their commitment out of an earnest desire to pursue God together. Their life was to be one that blended community with contemplation. Each of the chapters of the Rule focused on one such matter. The 7th chapter on humility defined how they were to handle oneself within the context of life together. We will pick up here with the next four rungs of the ladder of ascent toward humility.

The fifth step is self-revelation. In this regard, the monk was not to conceal from his abbot any evil thoughts that entered his heart, or any evils secretly committed by him. instead, he was to confess them humbly and freely. Acknowledging one’s sinfulness and denouncing unrighteousness led one into freedom from disguise and into a posture of mercy. Confession is liberating for the soul and leads to forgiveness and grace.

The sixth step is contentment with the least of everything. Becoming content with all that is of lesser esteem and willing to embrace the least of everything puts one into a posture of total abandonment and detachment. To make the choice of the less significant or important is to decide to follow Christ even to the place of utter sacrifice and release of all things associated with pride of place, possession, or power.

The seventh step is a sharp awareness of one’s own liabilities. In this place, the monk was to believe with the deepest feeling and proclaim with his tongue that he is inferior to all and more worthless than another. In this way, he says with the prophet, “I am a worm not a human being, one scorned and despised by people.” This was considered good for those who sought to follow God’s commandments toward fuller submission and obedience.

The eighth rung is the avoidance of individualist and attention-seeking behavior. Here the monk was to do nothing except what is recommended by the common rule of the monastery and the example of the elders. Pride is exhibited when one makes decisions that point back to oneself, making choices that serve one’s needs, aspirations, and wants that are exclusive of the community.

In these middle four steps of the ladder of humility, one is brought to a place of deep remorse, confession and into a life of contentment with lesser things, a lesser attitude of oneself, and an avoidance of all things that smack of self-service. Each progressive rung gets harder to follow with regularity, thus the significance of the truth that these steps take a lifetime to learn and embody.

As you consider your own propensity toward self-absorption and pride, what do these steps say about your willingness to openly confess your sins to another, to choose contentment with lesser things, to willingly own up to your own limitations, and to choose community over self? Pause, pray, and ponder each of these four rungs and wait upon the Lord for inspiration and instruction. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart and illumine the pathway forward. Trust Him to lead you by the hand down the road toward deeper love and humility.

Humility isn’t something to aspire after or work toward. It’s discovered over time, unbeknownst to the one becoming all the more humble…and only as one is willing to lovingly submit to God and unswervingly hold fast to a life of obedience. It begins with a desire for God over self. It concludes with a life in union with God, a purified love for others, and a forgetfulness of self. It’s hard to be humble.

St. Benedict (AD 480-547) added a chapter within his Rule of Life as a guide to humility. Although set forth as a blueprint for the life of the monks within his monasteries, its filled with wisdom for today’s Christian. He called these the “Steps to Humility” and the steps are rungs of a ladder. The ascent of Benedict’s ladder is toward humility, whereas others like Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) write about the downward descent of humility (in contrast to the upward road of pride). Regardless, the steps toward humility take a lifetime to achieve, and require daily choices to be prayerful, loving, content, and gracious.

The first degree of humility is that one always have the fear of God before one’s eyes, shunning all forgetfulness, and remain mindful of all that God has commanded. In this degree one makes a serious effort to live a good life: careful about thoughts, avoiding self will, not pursuing lusts, and participating fully in the ongoing process toward full conversion and Christlikeness.

The second degree of humility is carrying out the Word of the Lord, not loving one’s own will or seeking to fulfill one’s own desires. In this degree of humility there is a renunciation of self will and desire, and an earnest seeking of God’s will and desire.

The third degree of humility is discovered as one subjects her/himself to a Superior in all obedience, imitating the Lord. It’s here that one submits to a Superior who is her/himself seeking to live in imitation of Christ. Submission and obedience are tied together, lived out in an atmosphere of love and trust.

The fourth degree of humility is accepting with patience and even-temperment all hard and distasteful things as one is commanded to fulfill, even injuries that are inflicted by self or others. To patiently endure all difficulties of life with equal acceptance is what it means to lean into this degree of humility.

We will pick up next time on the subsequent four of the twelve degrees of humility. In the meantime, ponder the first four and ask the Lord to enlighten your heart in areas where you sense resistance and/or dissonance. Invite the Holy Spirit to purge what’s most needed in your heart so that you are open to consider the invitation of Christ toward greater and more sincere humility of heart. To ponder, pray, and then to pursue humility is indeed the way of the Christ follower…yesterday, today and forever.

Humility is a beautiful quality to find in a person. But it’s rare today.

Consider this definition of humility: “Those who are humble experience no shame. They do not need lies and evasions to inflate their importance in the eyes of their associates, or to buttress their self-esteem. They have overcome the tendency to regard others as competitors or rivals, and so they work with whatever they have, and waste no time envying those who possess different qualities. The humble are equally content both with the gifts and the limitations that come from their nature or their personal history. Humility brings with it a fundamental happiness that is able to cope with external difficulties and sorrows…Humility is that network of attitudes that springs from a radical conversion of heart, and signals a deep, inner conformity with Christ. Growth in humility is powered by the simple desire to become like Christ.” (Living In the Truth, by Michael Casey, pp. 1,2)

St. Benedict, in the center of his Rule of Life, gives guidance to his followers regarding the way toward humility via the rungs of a ladder. Over the next few weeks I want to look at his ladder of humility and see what we can learn from the 12 rungs that lead us upward toward humility. The journey upward on the ladder is counter intuitive to the descent of humility, the way in which Bernard of Clairvaux and others have treated the subject. But, suffice it to say, the road toward humility isn’t an easy one, nor is it self-guided. No, the road toward humility is one that’s willing to be trampled upon by others, for humus, the basis of humility, is nothing more grandiose than dirt.

The triad of humility, silence and obedience is what Benedict proposes, as does our Savior Jesus. Jesus is the supreme example of personhood uncomplicated and unhindered by sin. He is the model of this quality we’ve come to know as humility. He even said of Himself, “Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Matt. 11:29). Consider as well Philippians 2: 5-8 and John 13: 1-17 for further reflection on Jesus the humble One.

Pray today for an openness toward humility in your head, hands, and heart. Spend time listening attentively to the gentle invitation to become like Jesus.

I’ve had the privilege of working with a group of leaders this week who are wrestling with the role of spiritual formation in the life of leaders and teams. The group is international…many from US ministry contexts, with others serving in Germany, Lebanon, Singapore, Japan, and Canada. One of the leaders shared with me her philosophy of leadership in the context of a military chaplaincy position. I was struck by the following quote from her conclusion, and wanted to share it with you in this blog. May it encourage you in your role as a leader in your own particular setting today…

With my ears I will listen carefully, with empathy and discernment.
With my eyes I will notice present needs, anticipate future desires and seek the vision.
With my hands I will aid personal growth and bind emotional wounds.
With my feet I will walk beside and guide those whom I serve.
With my mouth I will speak gently, praise often and laugh genuinely.
With my heart I will love fully.
With my head I will reflect deeply and act wisely.
With my body I will be an instrument of God’s grace and peace.

The day of Pentecost has to be the pinnacle of near holy perfection for the body of Christ…simply about as good as it will ever get for the people of God.

Consider the many initiatives of the Holy Spirit, poured out on those assembled. They were all together in one place. Without notice a sound comes like the blowing of a violent wind – from heaven – and fills the whole house where they were sitting. Tongues of fire came to rest on each of them. ALL were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other tongues not familiar to them, as the Spirit enabled. A crowd gathers, utterly amazed and perplexed, and hears the gospel in their own language.

Peter stands up and reminds them that all of this is a fulfilled prophecy, first spoken of by the prophet Joel, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people…I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below…and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” With Jesus now ascended to heaven, exalted to the right hand of God, the promised Holy Spirit has been poured out among the people. Cut to the heart, those who believed what they heard found their sins forgiven and the gift of salvation received.

The fellowship of the believers is enviable to all subsequent generations: the people of God devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship in the breaking of bread and prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All shared everything they had in common. Selling their possessions, they gave generously to any who were in need. They met daily in the temple courts, broke bread in their homes, and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. They praised God and enjoyed the favor of all the people. And the Lord added daily to their number those who were being saved (Acts 2).

It doesn’t get any better than this! And yet we long for that same experience today. Christians around the world have celebrated Pentecost with the hopes of this day repeating itself in our generation. Perhaps we simply need to come close, draw near, and follow fervently after Christ – listening and obeying His voice above all other voices in our world. Possibly, it’s time to confess our sinfulness and our desperate need for a Savior – rather than assume our human strength and wisdom will be enough. Maybe, just maybe, we need to open the living Word of God and pray fervently for a fresh wind of the Spirit in our generation – depending upon God’s Word and the whispers of the Spirit. And then, watch, wait, and wonder for a new power from on high to rest on us once more – believing that if dry bones can come to life (Ezekiel 37), so too can our thirsty and hungry hearts experience Spirit-empowered renewal.

Come, Holy Spirit! Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

Over the past 10 entries I’ve sought to identify some of the key traits of a spiritual leader. Here is the listing in summary fashion:

1. To first and foremost develop rhythms of Scripture, Prayer and Reflection in their personal prayer closets. Here we enter holy spaciousness to listen attentively to the fresh movement of the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – in a delightful place of silence and solitude. Practicing these means of grace on a regular basis opens us up to a lifestyle of spiritual renewal and transformation.

2. To honor and maintain Sabbath as a holy day set apart for rest and reflection, worship and relationships. Sabbath as a day of the week set apart for rest underscores the Sabbath-lifestyle of the spiritual rhythms we seek to embrace throughout our week.

3. To embrace a prayerful intention to grow as a listener: Listening first and foremost to God, through His Word, in prayer and creation, and then in community, life experiences, disappointments and joys, the leader develops a heart for listening and noticing God. But, when a leader emerges from the prayer closet and enters the world of service, it’s important that a leader listen to those s/he serves. An additional person to listen to is oneself…self-awareness comes from internal listening and the “aha” of the conscience.

4. To know our true selves…knowing ourselves begins with an acceptance of our two-fold blessedness as beloved children of God, as well as our inclination toward brokenness, as evidenced in our self-absorption, sinfulness, and residual idolatries that occupy our hearts.

5. To experience vitality in our walk with Christ and in service to others, it’s essential that we consider Crafting a Rule of Life, the topic and title of my latest book with InterVarsity Press. When a leader is aware of his/her unique geography in the Kingdom of God, one begins to recognize with clarity God’s thumbprint on their life, and respond with a growing desire to fulfill their particular footprint for faithful, daily living. What is a personal rule of life? It is “a holistic description of the Spirit-empowered rhythms and relationships that create, redeem, sustain, and transform the life God invites you to humbly fulfill for Christ’s glory.”

6. To develop the importance of spiritual community and the significance of serving others as a team. Spiritual leaders understand that our role is to equip the team for the work of ministry, rather than do it all ourselves. The work of ministry is balancing a life with God in the contemplative place of prayerfulness and obedience to Christ, with active service meeting the needs of those to whom the team has been called.

7. To learn how to move slower and to practice the spiritual discipline of noticing God – in His Word, in our prayers, and in our daily lives. We need to discover the beauty of God’s creation at a pace where we can actually enjoy the warmth of the sunshine, the chirping of the birds, the wonders of a wooded pathway, or the splendor of a mountaintop vista. As we exit our prayer chairs and reengage in our ministry settings, spiritual leaders are best served by considering decision making, program development, and any new initiative more organically than strategically.

8. To value authenticity and truth telling, especially in relation to the gospel message we proclaim, the Christ-like life we are called to embody, and the invitation we offer to others to follow the same. In the context of our ministry teams and faith communities, it’s incumbent upon the spiritual leader to model an authentic lifestyle toward others. In so doing, we invite those we are called to lead into a genuine walk of faith by being ushered into the gospel message and the Christian life of truth-telling that will set us all free.

9. To recognize that the transformation process takes time, even if welcomed initially by radical change. This primarily organic process includes the deliberate work of spiritual discernment, decision-making, change management, strategic planning, continual improvement, and ongoing evaluation.

10. To leave behind a legacy of grace, joy and peace, knowing that our role here on earth is all about building up the Kingdom of God, strengthening the Church of God, and encouraging others toward a life filled with love for God.

These are the essential ingredients of spiritual leadership, into which every other leadership responsibility is included. Sit prayerfully with each of these ten and consider God’s invitation for you. I welcome your feedback and pray God’s blessing on your role as leader in the body of Christ. Pursue spiritual leadership with humility of heart, teachability, flexibility, and authenticity. God will certainly honor your humble desires and bless your faithful efforts!

A leaders inner life with God is the first priority of a spiritual leader. This leads one outward into the context of team and community. Together, spiritual communities serve others in Jesus’ name. Each of the first nine segments of this series on spiritual leadership covered one or more variations of these themes.

However, when all is said and done, a spiritual leader desires to leave behind a legacy of grace, joy and peace, knowing that their role here on earth is all about building up the Kingdom of God, strengthening the Church of God, and encouraging others toward a life filled with love for God. Michael Youseff put it this way, “One characteristic of good leaders is that they prepare others to take over. They don’t just prepare their followers to ‘do well’ but prepare them to do everything they are doing themselves.” Isn’t this exactly what Jesus did with his disciples?

Could you walk away from your leadership responsibilities and leave your ministry intact today? Are you empowering a new generation of leaders to step in and take over from where you have left off? Are you preparing a foundation from which those who follow you can do greater things than you have done?

Most of us in leadership positions would rather avoid these questions than answer them. We are so engrossed in our day-to-day responsibilities that we have neglected the preparation of future leadership. Or at least most of us are not proactively and strategically covering this essential ingredient of effective spiritual leadership. We don’t necessarily mean to do so – many of us are just not sure how to leave a legacy. Mentoring and discipling others to lead is the only answer I know. With outstretched arms of love, we release ministry into capable hands, knowing that those who follow us will be led by the same Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who led us up to this point. We come alongside the ‘next generation’ of leaders and hand them the keys to the ministry as often as possible so they are prepared to pick up where we left off.

I would suggest this legacy includes several facets. First of all, when we lead others out of a spirit of joy, grace and peace, we embed into the hearts of others godly attitudes and motivations that are continuously purified by the love of Christ. Secondly, if unity on our team is a top priority, then a spirit of encouragement and empowerment will release others into their God-designed place(s) of servant leadership. Thirdly, if we are entrusting others with faithful leadership, then we must invite them into meaningful service each new day. Fourthly, if integrity is a part of our legacy, then we must be teaching principles and practices that embody the richness and vitality of truthfulness and reliability today. Fifthly, if our leadership is to last beyond ourselves, then this generation and the next need to embrace the vision and mission of the ministry today, owning it in their hearts and lives and ensuring its careful release into the future.

With all the demands for our time and attention this and every day, leaders don’t often ponder the significance of legacy. Far better for a leader to proactively attend to this now than to reap sloppy results in the future. Pray that the cascading effect of your leadership will be felt for generations, and faithfully listen to the promptings of God’s Spirit today in this regard. Choose wisely those who you will invest in today and pray fervently for God’s will to be continued long after you’ve departed from the scene. May it be so: for the glory of God, the sake of His Kingdom, and the flourishing of His Church.

Transformation. It’s a large and wonderful word. At its core it means “the operation of changing from one configuration to another; a metamorphosis; a conversion.” When Jesus invited his disciples to follow him, he knew they would be changed men as a result. Peter stumbled a few times but ended up convinced of his Savior, and the keys of the kingdom were placed in his hands. Paul was transformed on the road to Damascus by a bright shining light which blinded him temporarily, after which he changed from a persecutor of Jesus to one of the greatest evangelists for Jesus. Conversion usually begins for individuals, and has ripple effects on organizations and movements.

Spiritual leaders know that the transformation process takes time, even if welcomed initially by radical change. This primarily organic process includes discernment, decision-making, change management, strategic planning, continual improvement, and ongoing evaluation. Each of these steps in the transformation experience can be stunted by immaturity, hardness of heart, and/or outright disobedience to the call of God. Choosing to lean into transformation includes a recognition that change can be messy, difficult, and time consuming. But, the exhilaration of knowing that fruitfulness is just around the corner from Transformation Alley, a godly leader knows it’s always worth paying the price to fulfill.

When the metamorphosis occurs for either individuals or organizations, the impact on others is outstanding. Transformation is always to occur in order to unleash the fulfillment of an outwardly focused mission. We are changed from the inside out in order to bring that same life-transformation to others. Once experienced ourselves, the most natural reflex is to offer what we’ve received to all who cross our path. When Paul was converted, he immediately started to preach. It was shocking for those around him to make sense of the dramatic transformation Paul experienced. Thankfully, Paul had Barnabas to vouch for him and help him seamlessly enter the Christian community. The more they heard from Paul the more they believed he was truly a changed man. As a result, the church grew a hundredfold under his remarkable tutelage as a spiritual leader.

Christian leaders not only embrace the transformative process for themselves, but they regularly invite others to receive it as well. Spiritual leaders have a long-term perspective about what it takes to bring about meaningful life, church, organization, and/or societal transformation. Patient with the process, such leaders prayerfully wait for God to lead the way and empower them by His Spirit. When we place ourselves at the mercy of God, we are better prepared to see him more clearly and follow him more sincerely. There is no greater joy than to know you are smack dab in the center of His remarkable will…the place where transformation ultimately occurs.

In the Message, Romans 12: 1,2 is paraphrased as follows: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

Are you ready to be changed from the inside out? Then be sure to offer yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. The transformation process is about to begin once more!

One of Jesus’ favorite phrases is “I tell you the truth.” It appears dozens of times in the gospels. Take a look at John 8 for an example of this…of the 9 times the word “truth” appears, 5 are in the phrase “I tell you the truth.” To Jesus, telling the truth was always essential. Especially when he spoke to those who were most skeptical of him. It’s a bit curious to read this phrase over and over again. Apparently he was sent for a truth-filled purpose? The truth indeed sets one free! For Jesus, the truth was focused around his message, his life, and his invitation to live fully and transparently for God. He had zero tolerance for lies about his message, his life, and his invitation.

Spiritual leaders value authenticity and truth telling, especially in relation to the gospel message we proclaim, the Christ-like life we are called to embody, and the invitation we offer to others to follow the same. The contrast to truth-telling is pretending, posing, denying, or hiding from the truth. Anything short of an authentic life is a hindrance to the gospel, the community of faith, and the expansion of the kingdom of God.

So why do we tolerate lying? Most likely because we are caught in the prison of self-protection and we simply don’t know how to get out. Even if the truth will set us free.

The role of a spiritual leader begins with one’s willingness to receive the truth about God and then about oneself. The gospel exposes the truth about how Christ sets us free from the reformatory of our sins, and ushers us into the light of truth. The gospel is the truth we proclaim in word and deed, and the life we incarnate is in fulfillment of that truth. The gospel life is what we invite others to embrace, as outlined for us in the truth of the biblical text.

The truth about one’s personhood is the place where the transformational life of Christ begins. A healthy leader is willing to recognize one’s gifts and abilities, as well as one’s shortcomings, vulnerabilities and weaknesses. The two sided coin of authentic self-appraisal glitters when fully understood. We are both saints and sinners, co-existing in our spiritual and natural bodies. We are called to be both. We are empowered by the Spirit of God to radiate our strengths with courage and clarity. And, we are dependent upon the Spirit of God to enlighten our hearts to see the truth about our desperate need for a Savior to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Hand in glove. Side by side. Truth about both. That’s what sets us free.

In the context of our ministry teams and faith communities, it’s incumbent upon the spiritual leader to model an authentic lifestyle toward others. In so doing, we invite those we are called to lead into a genuine walk of faith by being ushered into the gospel message and the Christian life of truth-telling that will set them free. For some, this will be readily embraced. For others, flatly rejected. For still more, skeptically considered. A spiritual leader must be patient with each one. The key word here is “invitation” – not enforcement. When we shove truth down people’s throats they usually gag (trust me on this one…been there, done that, and it doesn’t work!). Instead, spoon feeding may be the best approach, even though it may tax your patience.

Valuing authenticity and truth-telling at all levels of ministry leadership is vital to the health of the leader and the context of the leader’s service. “I tell you the truth” – and it will always set you free!

I recently purchased a book because of it’s fascinating title, “Three Mile An Hour God.” It was recommended to me by a colleague in a spiritual formation ministry on the west coast. I was fascinated by an excerpt he read to me and then found a used copy of it on the internet. The essence is this: God is very comfortable moving at 3 mph. In fact, He is content if His will takes 40 days, 40 years, or a generation to complete. When He sent Jesus to this earth He walked from village to village, and that pace seemed quite sufficient.

What a sharp contrast to our lives today. We get impatient when red lights seem to take forever, when the wifi we’re on seems slow, or when the speed of the highway is only 55 mph. We much prefer moving at 70 miles per hour, and we want everyone else to keep up with that pace, including God. And when that doesn’t happen, we growl with anger, frustration, and impatience.

Spiritual leaders need to learn how to move slower, particularly in their prayer closets and on days of Sabbath rest. We need to practice the spiritual discipline of noticing God – in His Word, in our prayers, and in our daily lives. We need to learn how to listen attentively to our own souls, and the heart cries of those who surround us – family, friends, work associates, and the myriad of individuals we are called to love and serve in Jesus’ name. We need to discover the beauty of God’s creation at a pace where we can actually enjoy the warmth of the sunshine, the chirping of the birds, the wonders of a wooded pathway, or the splendor of a mountaintop vista.

As we exit our prayer chairs and reengage in our ministry settings, spiritual leaders are best served by considering decision making, program development, and any new initiative more organically than strategically. When we veer exclusively toward the strategic, we tend to push our agenda, expect great things in record time, and become more aggressive in our intentionality. Our time frames become shorter, our work pace quickens, and our productivity is manipulated toward fulfillment of our goal(s) as quickly as possible.

However, when organic growth and development supersedes and remains precedent in our planning and execution processes, we generally allow more time to pray, to discern, to weigh options, to actually consider every angle, and then move forward with greater unity and perseverance. Organic processes calm us down, invite us to pray with open handedness, and then we lean into any new or improved entity with a more relaxed pace and a more realistic expectation. It’s generally better to move in this way. It’s more at the pace of God.

How comfortable are you with organic growth? Do you enjoy watching new seasons emerge in nature? Are you excited to see things from a long term perspective? Or, are you more impatient, prefer the strategic, and become intolerant to waiting? If so, then there might be an invitation for you within this space to consider a new way of leading. I’m suggesting here that spiritual leaders understand, affirm, celebrate, and embrace the organic, longer term approach to ministry leadership, and keep any forms of top down, fast paced strategic planning in prayerful submission to their personal and ministry processes.

Are you expecting God to catch up to your pace of 70 mph? Or, are you willing to walk with God at His pace of 3 mph?