Leadership Tips & Training A Leader’s Delight

Last night, my heart experienced delight as I watched my First Place class members interact with genuine love and concern as they arrived for class. My heart continued to be overjoyed while they worked together on a group project during the first fifteen minutes of class. The room was filled with the sounds of laughter and constructive discussion. We transitioned into our Bible study time and I continued to be overwhelmed with God’s goodness, as I listened to one member give a testimony of how God was working in her life and changing her from the inside out.   We held hands and prayed before dismissing for the night and I thanked God for such a delightful meeting! As I look back on this meeting, I can say I truly took delight in the experience.

This feeling of delight doesn’t always hit me after or during a class. Many times, I miss the joy of a First Place class by dwelling on the work at hand: recording weights, listening to memory verses, collecting CRs and following the agenda in a timely manner. There are times when we have to rush through a portion of the class or deal with one person’s attitude negatively affecting the enthusiasm of the entire group. There are so many joy robbers lurking outside a First Place class to deny delight! Instead of dwelling on these negative influences, let’s take a look at a few things God takes delight in and follow His lead as a First Place leader:

Delights in His people

For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. (Psalm 149:4)  Matthew Henry’s commentary says that since God takes delight in His people,  “he rules with love.” As a First Place leader, we must be ever mindful that we are called to love our members. Some are easy to love and others are difficult. But God calls us to love them all the same, just like He loves us all the same!  I have had some very difficult members, who have given me the cold prickly after I have poured out all I have to offer them. When I feel I cannot give any more, God keeps saying—love them!  It is easy to take delight in the member who shares in class how God is working in their life. On the other hand, it is those who are trying to do it all on their own, never satisfied with the results and show no interest in my words of counsel that become like sandpaper to my heart. In 2 Peter 1: 5-8, we are exhorted to add to our godliness, brotherly kindness and to the kindness, love and if we keep adding these qualities to our lives, we will be effective and productive. Dear leader, take delight!

Delights in boasters of God.

But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:24) As a First Place leader, we praise our members for their victories at weight loss and scripture memory.  Be careful to boast not in them but in the God who is working in them! Bring all the praise back to God. Be a God boaster and you will be a faith builder in the lives of your members.

Delights in showing mercy.

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. (Micah 7:18) God not only delights in His people when they are obedient, but He delights in showing mercy to them when they mess up! As a First Place leader, we have many opportunities to show mercy to our members. When they gain weight one week, don’t turn in their CR, or fail to say their memory verse word perfect, we have the opportunity to extend God’s grace and mercy. There have been weeks when I wanted to shake my members and say, “When are you ever going to follow the Live-it and get with filling out the CR?” But, the Holy Spirit bites my tongue and I smile and say, “Next week!” Don’t get me wrong, I still encourage them strongly to write down what they eat and start day one memorizing the scripture, so that on day seven you will have it down. I help them with constructive comments, yet let them know that God is a God of second chances and that I will be there cheering them on every week, no matter what.

As God takes delight in you, may you take delight in your members, showing them His mercy and giving God all the praise for the transforming work He is doing in their lives. During this Christmas season, take time to delight in the people God has led to your First Place class and thank Him for the gifts they are to you.

Lead on!

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.