Leadership Tips & Training Leading With Love

It was my great joy to recently watch God work in the lives of my teenage daughter and her basketball teammate. My daughter, Sarah, a high-school sophomore, changed schools this year and, needless to say, it has been a traumatic transition. She plays basketball and has always been the starting point guard of her team, until this year. A couple of weeks ago, Sarah was anxiously awaiting the night when her new team would play her team she was on last year. Chase, the starting point guard of her new team, approached her one day and said, “Sarah, I bet you would really want to start this week since we are playing your old team.” Sarah nodded, “yes,” but knew that was probably not going to happen. She had confided to me that she was dreading the upcoming game, and felt she would be humiliated in front of her old teammates if she was sitting on the bench when the game started. The next day, Chase told her that she asked the coach if Sarah could start the game in her place and the coach agreed to start Sarah. I was overjoyed, humbled, and in awe all at the same time! To see Sarah happy brought me joy; yet, it humbled me to see such godly character in a 16-year old girl. This was an act of loving and honoring others above oneself. As I reflected on this wonderful event, Philippians 2:1-4 came flooding into my mind.

If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

As a leader, we can learn a valuable lesson from this 16 year-old basketball player. The lesson is: It is not all about me! As First Place leaders, we must look out for the interests of our members, just as the second chapter of Philippians encourages us to do. This is easy to do when the member is the sweet gracious grandmother, who is keeping all the commitments and greets you with a smile and a hug each week. But, what about that very needy person with the same prayer request each week. You know the one; she dominates the discussion times, complains about filling in that silly CR and whines when she doesn’t lose weight. God has placed every one of the members in your class for a purpose. The difficult member is placed in your class to teach you more about love, real love….the love that regards that needy person above your own desires or interests. We cannot manufacture this kind of love on our own. It is not worldly love, it is God-given unconditional love. It is God’s love that leads us to set aside frustration, anger, and impatience when dealing with a member, and replace it with a gentle, loving attitude.

Something that I have begun to practice in my own life is praying the scriptures for myself and for others. This concept is also taught in our First Place Bible Studies. Praying the Word is life changing! When we memorize scripture, and then ask God to apply it to our lives, we have the formula for building godly character. I would urge you to begin this practice this month. Since we are in the love month of February, why not pray Philippians 2:1-4 for the next thirty days. The goal will be to develop into a truly loving leader. You may want to personalize the scripture: Lord, help me to do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but give me a humble mind, so that I can regard (specific person’s name) as more important than myself. Help me to not just look out for my interests, but also look out for the interest of (specific person’s name).

I believe that as you pray, the Word God will do miraculous things in your life and in the lives of your members. You will begin to respond to people with a different tone of voice, your words will be seasoned with grace, and God will provide opportunities for you to extend love to your members. I look forward to hearing testimonies of how God has literally loved through you in the days ahead.

Leading with Love,

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.