That is a statement that perhaps can only be understood if you have ever been part of a team. And, I am NOT talking about coaching . . . Coaching must be there, too, but for a team to function properly, leaders must lead it in the right way. Believe it or not, I played four sports in high school, and the love of my high school life was basketball. I was probably not quite as good as I would like to think, but I loved it. I worked at it. And it taught me so much about life to be on that team.
Throughout my high school career, I learned to valuable lessons: How to win and how to lose. The second one, maybe a little more often than the first. And I would like to think it built character. But what I want to write here today is that where the coach had a great impact, the greatest impact was from the team leaders. The peers that stepped up and taught us younger guys about all of this. Without them, I would not have been able to step up when I was a senior and do the same for the younger guys I played with. Without them, I probably would not have gone into coaching basketball, something I have done since I graduated in 1984 up until about three weeks ago when my guys won their league in the church league.
In varsity sports, seniors carry the weight of this. Because, like it or not, people ARE listening, watching, and they will follow (good or bad). And when those who should lead do not, it is a painful thing to watch. And when you see one stepping up, even in the face of adversity, you need to recognize it and ENCOURAGE them. That is something I think I will do today.
Because, a team also needs ENCOURAGEMENT.
I think all of this really does tie back into the church as well. A pastor can only coach so much . . . It takes LEADERS to motivate and move. Peers who buy into the common vision (which, in our case, is the KINGDOM OF GOD) and are willing to do what it takes: Even if it means sacrificing self for the greater good. That is something foreign to our nature and difficult to do, but it is EXACTLY what Jesus did for us.
Will YOU step up and lead today?
One Pastor's Perspective 
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