KEY Principle – The greatest mark of spiritual maturity is the one who takes responsibility for the negligence of others.
Chapter 1
vs 1-4 Just because something is wrong doesn’t mean anybody’s going to do anything about it. There are leaders and there are followers. If God brings to your attention an atrocity that must be righted; do not expect others to see the same atrocity until you have begun the journey in making it right. Hanani delivered the message that the walls were down, the people were in great trouble and disgrace, but Hanani had been living in the trouble and disgrace and could not put two and two together….Nehemiah wept, mourned, fasted, prayed.
Leaders are often the ones to “first see something wrong”. Something has to be broken before someone realizes there is a need to and strangely enough just because something’s wrong doesn’t mean anybody’s going to do something about it.
vs 5-11 Nehemiah takes responsibility and repents on behalf of The People. He realizes that he is completely incapable of accomplishing that which needs to be done and calls upon the Lord. I’ve noticed in my own prayer life-how God never really answers my prayer how I want it to be answered, but rather aligns my thoughts, my will, my movement to that which he already has in motion. Nehemiah may have thought he his resume’ got him the “cup-bearer to the king” gig- when in reality God gave him the position to accomplish the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem.
Chapter II
1-2 Your Work Ethic is Important: How you do in your job, your relationship with others will determine how others respond when there’s something heavy on your heart. (You don’t get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression….I think that’s a Will Rogers quote, and a deodorant commercial)
vs 3 Notice Nehemiah’s honesty. He’s being real and his problem is about “taking responsibility for others”. Yes, it’s His peeps-but it really doesn’t affect his comfy life at the moment. He realizes his life is greater than his own.
vs 4 Be prepared to give an answer. You never know what God has laid on the heart of the person you are asking.
vs 5-8 Have a plan, not an idea. Idea’s are so pathetically common that just because you have a good one doesn’t mean its worth the process to see it through. Have a plan of action that accomplishes an idea.
vs 8b- Proverbs 21:1 God influences everyone for his purposes
vs 9 – Follow Through. This is the one thing we’re usually horrible at. Follow through doesn’t mean it’s profitable, it doesn’t mean it’s rationale-the success of following through is the “follow through” in of itself. It is the means not the end.
vs 10 When you are a threat, expect a planned defense. There will always be others who recognize power when they see it, but won’t be able to possess it. There will always be people who see leaders and covet their position. Some will just never understand because it’s all about them (power, money, fame)
vs 11-12 Invite those to your team who are willing to do the work.
vs 13-16 Leaders measure the process not the goal. The success of the process falls on discernment. One step at a time and don’t rush the process-you may over look an obstacle.
vs 17 K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid…not, Knights in Service of Satan) Leadership is the ability to get others to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. The problem here is that so many of us fall into the foolish thinking after a successful venture that we had something to do with creating it.
vs 18-19 It’s always about The Lord. Don’t make it about you or me.
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