SERVANT LEADERS FORMATION PROGRAM
LEVEL 1 BASICS OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Module 1 My Reflection as a Servant
SLFP 1.2.3 CONSUMING ZEAL
Expanded Outline
A. Introduction.
1. We must be men and women who passionately want to promote God's kingdom on earth.
Thus, our hearts should be troubled whenever we find anything that is not right with God.
2. Our "goodness" could be measured by the extent to which we feel a pure and growing hatred
for evil.
B. Four kinds of "good" people.
1. Those who do no evil yet do not devote themselves faithfully to doing good.
1.1 They lack other, more positive virtues.
1.2 Just like baptized infants.
2. Those who refrain from evil and also devote themselves to frequent good deeds, yet, while they
do not neglect to do what good they can, they see no need to do more than that.
2.1 Just so much prayer, service, almsgiving, etc., are enough for them. They do not burn with a
desire for a more complete holiness.
2.2 They remain quietly content with this spiritual level, and abandon higher things to others.
3. Those who detest and avoid wrongdoing, fervently commit themselves to whatever good they
can do, and desire greater personal holiness, yet lack equal concern for the holiness of others.
3.1 They eagerly desire the spiritual and internal virtues --fondness for prayer, intimate
knowledge of God, experience of divine love.
3.2 However they are not inflamed with fervent zeal against the vices of others or the dangers
of their sins. They want everyone to be good and live in grace, but feel no wound or sorrow
when they see the opposite.
3.3 They remain intent upon God and themselves. They might put off caring for other people in
order to preserve their own peace.
4. Those who avoid wrongdoing, practice virtue, are afire with zeal for personal righteousness and
for winning souls.
4.1 They obtain no comfort from progress toward their own salvation unless they are also
leading others to God.
4.2 Jesus' example: Although he always had complete joy in himself, he was not content only to
possess glory, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, in order to lead many
others into glory with him. Phil 2:7.
4.3 As servant leaders, we should be this 4th kind of "good" Christian. These make the best
persons for leadership, given our evangelistic mission.
C. Zeal for righteousness stems from the very basis of our Christianity, namely, love of God and of
neighbor.
1. A person who loves God not only desires to enjoy his goodness and be close to him, but loves to
see his will accomplished, his worship carried out and his honor exalted. He wants all people to
know, love, serve and honor God more than anything else.
2. A person who loves his neighbor desires not only health and prosperity for him, but even more,
eternal salvation.
3. Love of God and neighbor should cause us to mourn if God is dishonored or disobeyed, and if
others are not in right relationship with Him.
5. Although all Christians should love their neighbor, this love for others is especially necessary for
those who are leaders.
4.1 Their position demands that they act on God's behalf. Thus their hearts should be as much
moved by love of righteousness and hatred of evil as is God's heart.
4.2 Ps 45:8. "You love justice and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed
you..."
D. Areas of concern (exercise of zeal) in our own lives and in the lives of our household members.
1. Growing in the love for God and love for neighbors. Selflessness.
2. Active participation in the life of the Church, and frequent reception of the sacraments.
3. Areas not essential for salvation but desirable for making spiritual progress.
4.1 Faithfulness to and punctuality in meetings. Leaders show the way. If you have no
enthusiasm, neither will your members.
4.2 Exercise of spiritual gifts, the charismatic dimension of our Christian life.
4.3 Financial support for the Parish.
* This is not part of our covenant, but it is part of being a good mature Christian.
* The money is used for evangelization, thus for winning souls.
4.4 Submission to headship. Authority is a gift from God which is given to us as a means/help to
move us on in our spiritual lives.
4.5 Avoidance of a critical spirit or attitude.
E. Two specific applications: Correction and Encouragement.
Correction
1. At the heart of scriptural appreciation for correction are hatred of sin, and a realization of
human fallibility. Thus, zeal + love of neighbour = correction. Ps 141:5.
2. Deal with the wrongdoing of members.
2.1 Be simple and straightforward. Lk 17:3.
2.2 How?
* Do not condone any wrongdoing nor concede that any wrongdoing is acceptable.
* Do not allow any wrongdoing to remain unrepented of or uncorrected.
* Do not remain silent and pretend to know nothing when you ought to speak out.
* Be in touch with a responsible parish leader or your parish priest.
2.3 Be authoritative.
* Your authority comes from God. It is to be exercised in the community where we have
committed ourselves to.
* Look to correction as a pastoral tool for growth.
3. Your accountability as head to correct.
3.1 You are God's representatives. You have been given responsibility over God's people. Your
members look up to you and obey you because you have the Lord's place.
* Do not allow vices and bad practices to grow.
* Do what you can to overcome wrongdoing.
3.2 If you neglect your duty, you will be accountable to God.
* You would be guilty of neglect for not doing what your duty called for. Wisdom 6:4-5.
* You would bear the guilt for the faults of your subordinates, in that you could and
should have corrected them but didn't. Ezek 33:8.
3.3 This is not meant to scare you but to show the seriousness of your work.
Note: Some will prefer not to be leaders in order to evade accountability. However, such
persons need to realize that if they have a gift of leadership from God, they will still be
accountable for not using it.
Encouragement
1. You also have a duty to encourage.
1.1 Not just correction (look at wrongs) but encouragement (look at what's right).
1.2 Not just criticism, but praise.
2. At the start of Jesus' ministry, God encouraged him.
2.1 Mt 3:17. Again at transfiguration. Mt 17:5.
2.2 God is the source of all encouragement. We follow his ways. Rom 15:5.
3. "Encourage" is a compound of two words": "en" = to put in or into, and "courage" = confidence,
strength.
3.1 Thus literally, to encourage means to put courage into someone.
* An encouraging person builds up and strengthens people by his presence and words.
* He supports, not weakens.
3.2 How to encourage:
* Comfort.
* Support (situation where one cannot cope) through words, advice, prayers or just
presence.
* Urge on/exhort. Motivate. Not so much of giving comfort, but challenge the will of the
person in order to pursue change.
* Praise. E.g., honoring.
4. There is plenty of bad news around and how quickly people respond to them.
4.1 God looks for eternal optimists, who can share that spirit with others. God's news is good
news, not bad. We are to bring the good news of liberty, joy, release, hope, comfort, etc.
4.2 We cannot encourage enough.
* Many people have low self-esteem. They need to be affirmed.
* Our encouragement helps people to discover themselves, to appreciate who they are.
4.3 Thus, our basic attitude as household leaders needs to be one of encouragement.
* Not always correcting, but kindness, encouragement, rejoicing over what the Lord has
already done.
* Love them so they move on.
4. A fruit of encouragement is growth in perseverance. Perseverance is a Christian quality
especially needed to overcome problems, obstacles and trials. We ourselves need to
F. Conclusion.
1. There are four types of good people.
1.1 (Quickly describe these).
1.2 Parish servant leaders should strive to be the 4th type. This ideal serves as assurance that all
the servant leaders will be helped to move on.
2. God uses our zeal for righteousness to help other people.
2.1 Through evangelization, bringing God's life to others.
2.2 Through caring for members under our service in the parish.
LEARNING & DOING JOURNAL:
1. LEARNING POINTS:
a. List down the learning-points for you in this session.
b. From this session, in the scale of 1-10, evaluate yourself how much “zeal” you have for
Christ and his Church? Give one or two most important learning-points from this
session.
2. RESOLVE: To grow in this kind of zeal, how would you apply to yourself these learning points?
3. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES: What obstacle/s in your life that hinders you from gaining
“consuming zeal”? What would you do to overcome these obstacles?
4. GROWTH: As you try to exercise these learning-points in the next 30 days, in the scale of 1-10,
rate your improvement in the area of “consuming zeal” for Christ and his Church? Please share
this in our next session.
