Leadership Tips & Training A Risen Leader

Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the new life we find as we begin a relationship with Him. Jesus’ followers were distraught as they considered life without Jesus. Then, on that glorious morning, Jesus rose from the dead! His followers now had hope and new life. Their lives were forever changed.

Jesus is our example of a servant leader and the One after whom leaders should pattern their leadership. Just as the Disciples regained new life and hope at the appearance of their risen Savior, First Place members gain hope for a new life by watching their leader rise up from discouraging circumstances. Unlike Christ, when we fall, it is usually because of our own mistakes or sin. But, it is in our getting up that we bring hope to those we lead. A verse that I cling to and share with my members often is Micah 7:8 which says, “Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.” This verse reminds us that the enemy wants us to stay down, but through Christ we have the power to get up. We can rise again and in the process bring hope and encouragement to those we lead.

How do you rise up after you have fallen into old habits of discouragement, despair, and self-pity? There are three steps that have helped me as a leader to get up and begin again:

    Confess and Repent. The first step is revealed in James 5:16 as it tells us to confess our sin to another and pray for one another. As a leader, we need a confidant with which to share our struggles, and one who will hold us accountable. Sometimes, this could even be your First Place member. A few weeks ago I was really struggling with exercise. I had planned to exercise at lunch, but was swayed each day by my friends to go out and eat with them instead. I shared this with my group and told them I planned to exercise at lunch and asked them to hold me accountable. It worked! They prayed for me and emailed me some encouraging words. I stuck to my plan and shared with my members that I had gotten back up – I was no longer sitting down at lunch, but had risen to exercise! Acts 3:19 also reminds us when we do repent and return to the Lord that we will find refreshment. Not only will you get back up, but when you do, you will be refreshed! As a result, your members will also be revived or challenged to follow your lead.

    Get up and Wait. Once you admit that you are discouraged or stuck in a bad habit, you take the steps to change. The first step is to call upon the Lord and wait for His guidance. Micah 7:7 states: “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” The first steps to getting up are to pray, watch with an expectant heart, and wait for God’s provision. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that God will “provide a way of escape,” but we must be watching and waiting on the Lord to provide the way out of the discouragement. Instead of taking matters into our own hands, we must lay our concerns in the hand of God and be ready to press on in our journey for balance.

    Keep on Going. Many times leaders will tell me that they feel they must quit because they can no longer lead with integrity. They feel that because they have fallen down on their commitments or have backslidden, they can no longer lead. While it is true that a leader must walk the talk, they must also be authentic when they are struggling. If we can just admit we are struggling, ask people to pray for us, get up and wait for the Lords guidance, then we will have the power to keep on going. It is like my cell phone. Just because the battery loses all its power doesn’t mean I throw the cell phone away and not use it any longer. No! I plug it in to the power source and in about an hour it is recharged and ready to be used again. Think of yourself as a cell phone that must remember to plug in to the power source if you are to remain useable. Don’t quit; keep going! A wise man once said, “Get useable and God will wear you out!” 1 Corinthians 15:58 also encourages you to “ . . . stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

If today you are feeling like you are laying face down, waving a white flag and ready to call it quits, be encouraged to rise again! For when you rise up out of your discouragement, you in turn extend courage and hope to those you lead. They will say, “If our leader can rise up from that fall, then we can surely do the same.” Rise up and lead on!

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.    
   
Leadership Training Director
ntaylor@firstplace.org


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.