Easy to Follow: Trading Toxic Leadership for the Way of Jesusනියැදිය

Adopting Jesus’ Mission as Our Own

When the Titanic struck the iceberg in 1912, panic swept the decks as passengers scrambled for lifeboats. But one man, John Harper, a Scottish pastor and widower traveling with his young daughter and sister, didn’t rush to save himself. After securing his daughter and sister in a lifeboat, Harper returned to the chaos—not to survive, but to preach. As the ship descended into the icy Atlantic, Harper floated in the freezing water, witnessing to anyone who would listen. He gave his life jacket to another man and used his final breath to share the hope of the gospel. One man he reached in those waters later declared himself John Harper’s last convert.

Harper died as he had lived: completely surrendered to the mission of Christ—to seek and save the lost.

That was Jesus’ mission. And it’s ours too.

Jesus could have chosen a very different kind of mission. He could have overthrown Rome, elevated Jewish power, or aligned himself with the religious elite. But instead, he walked into the home of a tax collector.

In Luke 19, Jesus seeks out Zacchaeus—one of the most despised men in society. Tax collectors were seen as traitors, profiting off the backs of their own people to enrich the Roman Empire. And yet Jesus looked past the reputation and into the heart.

Jesus didn’t avoid people like Zacchaeus. He pursued them.

In front of a skeptical crowd, Jesus boldly announced his purpose: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” That was his mission statement. And for those of us who call ourselves his followers, it must become ours too.

Leadership—true, Christlike leadership—isn’t about building platforms, growing influence, or achieving impressive results. It’s about loving people enough to go after them. It’s about stepping into uncomfortable conversations, walking toward the hurting, and offering the hope of salvation—even when it costs us something.

John Harper could have stayed in the lifeboat. Jesus could have avoided the scandal of dining with Zacchaeus. You and I could choose safer paths, more comfortable missions, and easier goals. But if we want to lead like Jesus, we have to live like Jesus—driven by the same urgency, compassion, and clarity of purpose.

It’s not always easy. Fear, past failure, and pain can derail our focus. But Jesus redeems broken leaders, revives weary hearts, and re-centers us around the mission that truly matters.

Harper’s courage challenges us. Jesus’s clarity compels us.

Will we adopt Jesus’s mission as our own?

Reflection Questions:

1. How aligned are your goals with Jesus’s mission to seek and save the lost?
2. In the past, what has hindered the pursuit of your mission?
3. What causes your hope to waver—fear, failure, distraction—and how can Jesus re-center your focus?