Growing up, they taught many of us that children should be seen and not heard. They scolded harshly us and we feared the wrath of our teachers and preachers. This kind of authoritarian environment can unfortunately carry over into our own leadership styles.

But Jesus wants us to lead with love and tenderness. We may think we’re being gentle compared to how our parents raised us, but we still may miss out on the encouragement that people need.

We realize that not everyone can be treated the same. Everyone needs gentle guidance. We need to forgive one another and move forward in honor and glory of Jesus.

If you’re like me, you want something different from how you were raised. You want to lead with love and tenderness. So I challenge you today to lead on softly and tenderly. Let’s be like our brothers, sisters, moms and dads, and show love and kindness to one another.