Committing to the Work: Being Dedicated and Committed to the AssignmentSmakprov

In chapter 5, Nehemiah is confronted with some internal problems that he is led to address so that the internal structure of the people within the wall will be as solid as the external. In read more about this in Nehemiah 5:1–7.

It is here that Nehemiah began to address an issue based on a standard he had regarding how those within the community should treat each other. What I love about how Nehemiah handled this is verse 7, which says, “After thinking it over . . .” Nehemiah didn’t just do; he thought it through. Nehemiah was presented with an internal problem that could have hindered the building of the wall, and he took a risk by addressing the nobles and officials with the issue. But he was more concerned about the standard that needed to be set within the community than the risk that people might walk away from the project.

He knew that he could speak to right treatment versus wrong treatment as a person of power, because he had been in positions of power before as the governor of Judah, and he didn’t do like all the other governors did. He led differently, even during that time, because he feared God (see v. 15).

At the end of the conversation he had with the nobles and officials, they agreed to stop mistreating their relatives and repay everything they had taken. This is powerful because it created an internal dedication to the work that was being done externally. They were now not only committed to the rebuilding but also to honoring God after the rebuilding was complete.

Nehemiah was so devoted to this assignment that he was willing to risk not being liked, supported, or honored for the work to be done.