We all know the servant leader eschews glory. For him or her, humility should come before honor (Prov. 18:12), never the reverse.

But there is a healthy glory the leader can seek. In fact, they should seek it.

Glory stems from the root idea of “heaviness” and indicates “weight” or “worthiness.” It can describe a person’s wealth, splendor or reputation.

But rather than seeking to enrich our reputation or our coffers, God wants us to chase after spiritual glory in at least four ways:

1. Nurture wisdom, patience and peace. Prov. 19:11 says, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” Add to that Prov. 20:3 – “It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.”

2. Seek God’s truths. Prov. 25:2 reads, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”

3. Let God himself become your glory. Psalm 3:3 reveals that God’s strength fills us and surrounds us: “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.”

4. Accept the glory God has already bestowed upon you. Psalm 8:5 (NLT) – “Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.”

As Psalm 103:4 says, Christian leaders are already crowned with love and compassion.

Let’s lead with that glorious crown firmly in place.

Excerpted from Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership, by Tom Harper (DeepWater Books, 2019).