Learning to Lead With NehemiahPrimjer

Read Nehemiah 2 : 17 – 20

Nehemiah was a great communicator. He came to fulfill a dream. He had the resources the king gave to him. He had examined the walls and gates of Jerusalem. He knew what had to be done, but he could not do it alone. Nehemiah needed the Israelites to see things could be different. He needed them to build. He followed a clear communication method to let the people know what was in his heart. He laid out the situation (you see the trouble we are in). He recommended an action (let us rebuild the wall). He painted a picture of the results (we will no longer be in disgrace). 

We have a lot to learn from how Nehemiah used this simple process to convince the people who had lived with the broken walls and burned gates for a period of time . He did this by painting a picture different from what they had been used to. Nehemiah pointed them to the evidence that God’s blessing was upon him and the work. God is our Jehovah Jireh, and when He sends, He provides. Our problem is, provision rarely looks like what we expect it to be. The ability to share a vision and align people to drive toward a common goal is the hallmark of a great leader. These people caught the vision, committed to the work, and began to build.

As expected at the beginning of every great work, a group of people arose who tried to kill the vision. Some people come with the best of intentions, thinking to save you from future heartbreak or financial insecurities. Some others are malicious, running down any ideas that do not originate from them. It may be a snide comment or a heart to heart. Whatever form it takes, realize your vision is vulnerable here and needs to be protected. Don’t allow those who are not invested in your dream to kill it.

Nehemiah rightly identified the motives of Sanballat, Tobias, and Gershem. They were not there to offer constructive criticism. They were there to mock the work and ridicule the people. These people did not have a relationship with God nor the promise of His help. They were right in thinking it was improbable the work would be successful. They had no frame of reference for the grace and power and blessing of God on a project or people.

God‘s job is to grant success. Our responsibility is to do the work. There is no space here for outsiders. We need to know people not invested in the work, people who have not caught the vision, may ridicule. People make fun of what they do not understand or cannot do. People make fun of what they cannot claim credit for. We have to make up our minds to ignore any detractors who are not encouraging us to do the work God called us to do.

Word of the Day : Shared Vision

Do you know how to communicate your vision? When a vision can be communicated and caught by other people, it’s on the way to fulfillment. People will do much more for something they believe in than for something they are simply paid for. As a leader, I must be able to communicate my vision until the right people share it. As a follower, I must be able to work toward the fulfillment of a shared vision as if it is my vision.