49 CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP AND FINDING MEANING AND PURPOSE serve God Himself as we serve those with whom He identifies.92 What if the Christian leader is not feeling this higher calling in the workplace? What if the leader’s career aspirations and worldly success have overtaken the desire to serve others? What if leaders are not utilizing their gifts and talents in their current role? These are not easy questions to answer, yet we know that Peter has challenged us to “use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”93 We must simply ask God to help us with this paradigm mind-set shift. The Christian leader is called to self-denial and sacrifice for the sake of one’s followers. Our contemplative prayer life must merge with our active productive life. Our shift from a financially secure, self-focused approach needs to shift to a giving, self-denying, generative approach to leadership. NOTES 1 Erik Erikson, Childhood and Society (New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1950/1993). 2 Ibid., 267. 3 Erik Erikson, Dimensions of a New Identity (New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1962/1974), 123. 4 John Kotre, Make It Count: How to Generate a Legacy that Gives Meaning to Your Life (New York, NY: Free Press, 1999), 4. 5 Dan McAdams and Ed de St. Aubin, E., eds., Generativity and Adult Development: How and Why We Care for the Next Generation (Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association Press, 1998), 7. 6 Steven Sandage, Peter Hill, and Deanne Vaubel, “Generativity, Relational Spirituality, Gratitude, and Mental Health: Relationships and Pathways,” International Journal for Psychology of Religion (February 2011): 2.
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