Leadership Tips & Training Leading With All Your Heart

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
- Colossians 3:23

I looked out on a classroom full of 8 th grade students and silently questioned God, "What on earth am I doing here?" "What was I thinking when I decided to teach 8 th grade students?" "Show me, Lord." "Why am I here?"   The answer came quickly. He spoke to my heart. "They are made in my image, Nancy." I was there to not just teach them math concepts, but to minister to them. I was there to love them, just as their Creator God loved them.   I had been trying to teach in such a way as to meet all the man-made criteria, such as gaining the respect of other teachers, helping students reach their potential and completing teacher requirements.   It was not until this "ah ha" moment that I realized I was to teach for the Lord and for His purpose, not just to please men. 

I have since left that eighth grade classroom and now look out on a classroom of First Place members. Over these years I have found that the lessons I learned as a middle school teacher apply to my leadership in First Place. I must remind myself at the beginning of each new session that I am to lead with all my heart, not to please my members, but to please my Lord. For when I lead diligently, motivated by a desire to please God, my members will reap the benefits. 

Do you find yourself half-heartedly leading your First Place class? Is your heart fuel tank on empty? Let's look at some ways to refuel your heart, so that you can lead with a whole heart this session:

• Daily Devotional and Prayer time. Every First Place member is asked to keep nine commitments. Prayer, Scripture Reading, Bible Study and Memory Verse are the four commitments that help achieve balance in our spiritual life. If we tell our members that these are necessary, we must be a leader who not only shows the way, but goes the way, also. To lead with all your heart, you must be filling up daily with God's Word. If you have been slacking off in this area, ask God to renew your heart and to give you a desire to meet with Him daily. Your members will know when you are spending time with the Lord, because they will see a leader who is leading with a renewed heart.

• Living the Live-It. It is amazing how much enthusiasm I have about the food plan simply by following it!   Following the Live-it is not an option for a First Place leader. Leaders tend to produce their weaknesses in their members.   For example, if the leader doesn't like to exercise and is not committed to exercising on a consistent basis, then their members will likely disregard the exercise commitment altogether. The sessions that I wholeheartedly follow the live-it and keep my CR are the sessions that my members have the most success on the Live-it.

• Encouraging Others. Seek to minister to all the members in your class through encouraging words and deeds.   Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4)   Leaders lose heart when they begin to focus only on their own needs, desires and wants.   Taking time to focus on the members needs will cause your heart to become compassionate and merciful towards them. Once you see God ministering through you, you will once again minister with all your heart. 

While our First Place classes took a break over the holidays, I have been memorizing 2 Peter 1:5-8. If you have been struggling in your leadership and need motivation to lead with all your heart, I would encourage you to meditate on these words and hide them in your heart. If you will apply these godly principles to your life, they will transform you into a useful and fruitful First Place leader who leads with all her/his heart.

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

Lead On!

Nancy Taylor
Leadership Training Director



Nancy Taylor is the First Place Leadership Training Director and joined the First Place staff in 1997. Nancy teaches leadership principles to First Place Leaders throughout the country and at Houston's First Baptist Church where she coordinates all the First Place groups. Nancy also speaks at First Place workshops, rallies, retreats, and conferences, where she delights her audiences with humor and encourages them with boldness. She writes a monthly article, which includes helpful tips for leaders, for the First Place E-newsletter, and was a contributing writer to the Today is the First Day devotional book. Nancy is the resident First Place Bible Concordance because of her love for Scripture memory.