Leadership Tips & Training Recipe for Restoration

Spring is here again. The flowers are blooming just like always. Everyone is battling with allergies, as always. Everyone in my First Place class signed up for another session, like always. Do you see a pattern here? It reminds me of a phrase I often say, "It’s the same ole’, same ole’." When I took a look at my roster for the new First Place session, it didn’t look new at all! I had all the same ladies, no new members! A red flag went up! This could be the ingredient for a complacent, mediocre class. I didn’t panic; I prayed, "Lord, I need a word from you for my class!" Just as He is always faithful to do, He gave me a word.

As a leader, you may find yourself in this same ole’ boat with me! Do you have all the ingredients for a complacent, mediocre class? Do you look around and see the same faces? Do you feel you have given them all you have to give? Well, I believe God has a word for you, as well. Let’s look at what the Lord has to say in His Word.

First Place is about restoration. Restoration is a restoring to an improved condition. In First Place, we encourage our members to seek Christ first through the nine commitments so that their lives will improve and become balanced. So, as leaders we are in the ministry of restoration. No matter how many sessions a person is in First Place there is always room for improvement or restoration. We must be alert to complacency creeping into the lives of our members, so that the restoring work in their lives will continue.

After asking the Lord for a word, Isaiah 43:18-19 came to my mind. As I turned the pages of my Bible to Isaiah 43, I noticed that the heading for chapter 43 was God’s Greatness in The Restoration of Israel. In this chapter I learned that God was reassuring Israel of His greatness, powe, and ability to do what they saw as impossible- release them again from captivity. The Lord was reassuring me that He was still able to work in the lives of my members and restore their lives emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically. Then, I found God’s Word for my class: Isaiah 43:18-19, "Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert."

His message to us when we find ourselves doing the same ole’ thing is:

• Do not look at the past successes and failures. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that the Lord has plans for us to experience victory in the future. It is His plan for each of us. However, we cannot experience what He has planned for us if we are stuck in the past. Sometimes, we live way too long on past successes. I remember telling people for several years after my second child was born that, yes, I had lost 25 pounds before and was very successful, even a lifetime member of Weight Watchers! But, they could tell by looking at me that my past success was not helping me in my present. I had also memorized many scriptures in college. I even had a wooden file for all my scripture cards. Yet, as a young mom I could not recall needed scriptures when experiencing stressful times. It was only when I looked to the future, a future God had planned for me, that I began to do the things necessary in the present to experience victorious living for a lifetime.

• Become aware of what God is doing. In verse 19 God says He will do something new, but follows that with the question, "Will you not be aware of it?" Life is full of activities, stresses, conflicts, deadlines, and endless lists of responsibilities. With this in mind, we become distracted from the activity of God in our lives. For example, I had a hard Monday this week and just wanted to go home, sit on my couch, and watch my favorite TV show. That day had been full of anxieties over bills, teenagers, and taxes! What I didn’t know was that God was doing something new in my very midst. About halfway through my television program, someone knocked on my door. It was a young man, who looked like he had lived a short, but hard life. He was soliciting donations to the homeless shelter he lived in and wanted to give me his spiel. I listened, but all the while my thoughts were, "I am going to get rid of this kid as quickly as possible so that I can watch my show." That is when God tapped me on the shoulder of my conscience and said, "Share Christ with him." It was at that moment that I had a choice to either get in on what God had planned or go back to my own little world. Well, thank God, I chose His plan. I was able to share the gospel with this young man and as he left, he said, "Thank you for sharing those words with me." Habakkuk 1:5 says, "Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days-- you would not believe if you were told."

• Believe God will make a way for you. God says in verse 19b, "I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert." Can you make a river in a desert? Would you even consider taking on such a task? It is too difficult for us, but not for God. If your members are just going through the motions of First Place without much enthusiasm and success, maybe they have been doing the same ole thing for too long. First they need to quit looking back, focus on the future, become aware of God’s activity all around them and then begin to truly believe that God can get them through a difficult or impossible situation. If God can make a river in a desert He can make a way for you to overcome any obstacle in your life. Like the lyrics of a familiar song, "God will make a way where there seems to be no way."

Don’t allow complacency to rob you from the restoration work God wants to do in your life and in the life of your members. God’s greatness is far above our weaknesses and He is at work always for our good. If you find you are sitting across from the same faces and doing the same things, let Isaiah 43:18-19 encourage you to look ahead, observe and believe that God is doing something new in you to restore your life to wholeness and health.

Love,
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.