During a recent NFL game, I watched as two future Hall of Fame coaches took the field. The announcers had previously spoken with a player who had played for both coaches. They asked him what the difference was in coaching styles. He said that one coached by fear, the other by love. When asked which he preferred, he shared that both can be effective, but that love lasts forever.

Christ coached a team of men as well. He easily could have used fear as a motivator to get them to do what He wanted. He might have succeeded, but He chose a different path. He chose love. Better yet, He lived love. He was love! When Paul penned the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13, he must have been thinking of Christ the entire time. When reading the passage, we can easily put the name of Jesus in as a substitute for the word love.

Coaching requires wisdom, understanding, and discernment in knowing when to love and listen to your team. A coach who leads by fear will have success at times, but in the end will lose respect, and players will play to spite him. A coach who leads by love will gain not only respect, but also admiration. He will build lifelong relationships with players who know they are loved. One way to know if a coach leads by fear tactics is if he cares more about the player or the program than the person. The coach who leads by love will always care more about the person than the player. There is a huge difference.