Leading with Love

Christ is our model leader.

Meibel Mello Guedes is the Women's Ministries and Shepherdess Coordinator in Curitiba, Brazil. Her husband, Arlindo Guedes is a minister and evangelist. They have three children and a granddaughter. She enjoys reading, studying, and traveling.

Christ is our model leader. While on this earth, He showed strength, unselfishness, love, and courage.

There is a big difference between a leader and a commander. A leader guides his followers, directs them with love, and stands beside them at all times. A commander guides his followers through fear. He dictates the rules and mandates that the tasks be completed whatever the cost.

One of the greatest characteristics of a good leader is love. The love inherent in a true leader is not an emotion. It is a transference of this love into actions. The followers of a good leader know they are valued. A true leader knows his followers; he understands their difficulties and recognizes their strengths. A good leader is willing to serve his followers and help them reach their goals.

Jesus was once asked, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus responded, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" Matthew 22:36-39.

A good leader must adhere to all three parts of true love. He must love God, love his neighbors, and love himself.

A good leader should love God with all his heart and mind. His followers should have no doubt that their leader's allegiance is to God.

A good leader loves his neighbors. He cultivates friendships without demanding anything in return. He invests time in friendships, maintains interest in others, and is willing to help whenever needed. He treats everyone fairly and equally. He learns the art of listening, compliments and recognizes those who are deserving, and puts others before himself.

A good leader loves himself. When a person totally accepts God's love, he forms a basis for loving himself. Many Christians are taught that being humble is synonymous with thinking little of themselves. Quite the opposite is true. Denis Waitley, an American psychologist, said, "The first and the most kept secret of total success is that we should feel love inside of ourselves for us to be able to give to others." He went on to explain, "If we do not have a profound and deep-rooted feeling of value inside of us, we will have nothing to give and share with others."

If we want projects in our church to be completed, we must learn to lead in love. Such leadership will encourage more participation. If we want our churches to grow stronger and healthier, we must learn to lead in love. Such leadership will encourage others to follow suit. If we want to lead others to Christ, we must learn to lead in love. Such leadership will bring others to God. Love and good leadership—the two are synonymous.

Meibel Mello Guedes is the Women's Ministries and Shepherdess Coordinator in Curitiba, Brazil. Her husband, Arlindo Guedes is a minister and evangelist. They have three children and a granddaughter. She enjoys reading, studying, and traveling.