Recognize the Image Bearer, Part 1
A Note From Michaela O’Donnell
Dear Life for Leaders friend,
As you read inTuesday’s devotion, April 1, 2025 was a big milestone for the De Pree Center as it marked 10 years of our Life for Leaders devotional! On a day like this, I am filled with gratitude for the many people who have contributed to this work.
- I am grateful to Mark Roberts who began this work 10 years ago and has remained faithful in his work to help Christian leaders be formed by Scripture.
- I am grateful to the many other writers who have contributed their time and voices to this work.
- I am grateful to the De Pree Center staff who work behind the scenes to make sure these devotionals go out every day.
- And I am deeply grateful for you and the many other faithful readers of our Life for Leaders devotions.
We plan to celebrate this milestone over the next few weeks here and in our newsletters. One way we want to celebrate is to hear from you about how Life for Leaders has impacted your discipleship. We would love it you could spend a few minutes completing our Life for Leaders Audience Impact Survey.
Second, we want you to know that your financial support of the De Pree Center is vital to our effort to produce Life for Leaders in years to come. If Life for Leaders has made a positive impact in your life, we would ask you to consider making a special gift to the De Pree Center: Click Here To Give
Grace and peace,
Michaela O’Donnell
Scripture — Esther 1:13-15 (NRSV)
Then the king consulted the sages who knew the laws (for this was the king’s procedure toward all who were versed in law and custom, and those next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had access to the king and sat first in the kingdom): According to the law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus conveyed by the eunuchs?”
Focus
A wine-filled king appealed to seven eunuchs who could not get a subject to do what he asked. Then he asked seven political leaders for help. They could create seven policies, but the result would most likely still be the same: “Nah.” And the sum of it is that a wine-filled leader could not understand what disciples understand, that if a law were capable of making someone do the right thing, we would not need Jesus.
Devotion
It is easy to see leadership through the lens of titles, tools, and tasks. If we objectify leadership, we will often forget the most critical piece, people. Can you imagine doing your work with no one else for the benefit of no one else? Even your hobbies will benefit others if you are refreshed and enlivened by a new perspective—unless it’s golf, in which case it will be purely up to providence.
People can be difficult. But be careful in ascribing too much value to that mantra because you are a “people.” When we have influence and people are involved, we affirm the research of many organizations, including the Center for Creative Leadership’s determination that the people issue is complex:
Many frontline managers reported that their top leadership issue is feeling overwhelmed with inefficiencies and frustrated with others. This includes challenges with offering guidance to direct reports, overcoming resistance to change, dealing with difficult employees, and adjusting communication and feedback styles to collaborate more effectively with different people. And again, this appears to have become an even bigger concern for leaders at this level since the pandemic.
A wine-filled King Ahasuerus ran into a subject in the household who said “nah” to his bidding. That “nah” would precipitate a series of events leading to the deliverance of the Jews and the salvation of those who call on the name of the Lord. Ahasuerus was full of wine, not full of wisdom.
The questions we ask must be repeatedly refined until they are as close to righteous as possible, because resources will be devoted to answering them. The kind asked, “According to the law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus conveyed by the eunuchs?” Every era asks the question in a different form. What commandment, what constitutional by-law or amendment, what policy or job description, etc. can be used to get this subject to do what the other is needed to do (better), won’t do (most common), or won’t do because I told them to do (an unfortunate leadership style.)
A wine-filled king appealed to seven eunuchs who could not get a subject to do what he asked. Then he asked seven political leaders for help. They could create seven policies, the result would most likely still be the same: “Nah.” And the sum of it is that a wine-filled leader could not understand what disciples understand, that if a law were capable of making someone do the right thing, we would not need Jesus. Disciples who follow the perfect leader know there is a better approach to leadership.
Reflect
What are better questions that the king could have asked in his circumstances?
Act
Reflect on your leadership style when hurdles arise. What are your default questions? Or, if you don’t see the questions, consider your default responses, which help you identify the questions you are asking quickly. What are better approaches when problems (and success, for that matter) arise?
Pray
I am weak, God. I realize that my best efforts may be incorrect. Please help me to remember that the counsel of your will and your abiding presence is the way to make sense of how to hear and do what is best. Thank you for not entertaining what the evil one would suggest to do toward us, and for granting us unmerited gift after gift. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Working Within a Fallen System (Esther).
DeLano Sheffield
Author & Business Resource Specialist
DeLano J. Sheffield is a senior pastor and employer engagement manager for Great Jobs KC (formerly KC Scholars) where he fosters connections between people on the fringes and employers in the Kansas City Metro. He advocates for the hiring of people who would not normally have opportunities. De...