True Competitor: A 10-Day Devotional for Athletes, Coaches & ParentsSample

The Larry Principle

WisdomWalks Principle
Serving is leading.

Larry, at only thirteen years old, made a significant impact on my life. It happened at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp, during a tradition that has played out at every FCA Camp for more than fifty-five years. The last night features an open mike session when athletes come forward and share how camp has influenced their lives.

I was directing a FCA Leadership Camp several years ago when Larry got up to share at open mike night. After a terrific week of training middle school and high school students on how to impact their campus for Christ, it was now time to hear how God had worked in their hearts during the service projects, leadership workshops, hands-on training, inspiring speakers, and powerful worship that had marked the week.

Larry was a five-foot-tall seventh grader from inner-city Kansas City and a hit with the campers. He was funny, lovable, charming, and outspoken. His contagious laugh and raspy voice made Larry stand out from the others, and he became the camp favorite.

Larry was never short of words, but when he leaned into the microphone, he shared a single transformational leadership statement. His one sentence hit me between the eyes: “If you ain’t serving, you ain’t leading!”

Then he turned around, walked off the stage, and sat down. Larry, the Great Theologian, had spoken. I was in awe. I’d read hundreds of leadership books and articles, listened to tons of leadership talks and podcasts, written devotions about leadership, and I had just heard the ultimate leadership challenge—from a thirteen-year-old! And he’d communicated in seven words one of the most profound concepts I’ve ever heard on leadership.

It’s all about serving, not leading. Everybody wants to be a leader, but very few want to be a servant. As a result, whenever I speak at one of FCA’s Leadership Camps, I usually say to the young leaders at the beginning of camp, “Welcome to Servant Camp!” But we don’t call them that in our marketing, because no one would show up! But Jesus says, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16 NLT). All of us need to go into training to become servants, not leaders.

The end-result of our serving is for His glory. After we have served others, they should think, God is good, not, You are good. The purpose of serving is to lift the name of Jesus. Rick Warren says, “We serve God by serving others. The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige, and position. In our self-serving culture with its me-first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept.” But when we serve, we represent to the world of sport what Jesus looks like.

Wisdom Walkers, let the Larry Principle burn in your heart: “If you ain’t serving, you ain’t leading!”

WisdomWalks SPORTS, Ellie Claire (Nashville, TN), pages 67-70.