Luke 2:48“Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”

Jesus is the only leader that I know who was certain of where He was going and what He was to do at the early age of twelve. He made the statement in Luke 2:48 to his mother when He was left behind for three days after the family left Jerusalem. His mother returned to Jerusalem and found him in the Temple with the teachers. Here Jesus demonstrated the first part of my favorite definition of a leader and He is still fulfilling it- and the second part- to this day. There are more than 3,000 written definitions of a leader, but here is the one definition that means the most to me because it is totally reflective of Jesus: “Leaders have two important characteristics. One is that they are going somewhere and second is that they are able to persuade others to go with them.”

Jesus knew where He was going and He never deviated, compromised, or turned away from it. He was going to fulfill the call on his life that his Father had given him all the way to the cross and then to be resurrected and seated at the right hand of God in heaven. That is where He was going. The second part is where you and I come in. Because of what He did on the cross, his life, mission, and leadership through the Holy Spirit, we are persuaded to follow and go with Him. Are these two things evident in your leadership? Do you know where you are going and how to get there? Is it evident to others? Do your character and Christian witness persuade others to follow and go with you? I once heard a man say that he was going to heaven and wanted to take as many others with him that he could. What will be the impact of your life and leadership on those whom God has placed before you? We must be about our Father’s business that Jesus has made possible for each of us personally.