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Chapter 8
LEADERSHIP
A Manual for Leaders
THERE WAS A BOOK written as early as 425 BC on the subject of leadership. It’s author was prominent in business and politics in the ancient Middle East. He not only possessed an exceptional personal philosophy of leadership, but he lived it as well. That book bears the author’s name: Nehemiah.
Nehemiah was not really so different from other outstanding leaders whose names are more familiar. One of the names we would more easily recognize is Theodore Roosevelt. An admirer once exclaimed, ”Mr. Roosevelt, you are a great man!” To which Roosevelt replied, ”No, I am simply a plain, ordinary man … highly motivated.” His answer probably describes most great leaders: they are plain and ordinary, yet highly motivated.
When God puts His hand on a plain ordinary person, He may give that person tremendous insight and awesome abilities, enabling him or her to become a leader like Roosevelt, or Nehemiah, or perhaps a lesser leader. God motivates leaders to accomplish goals, to keep working, or to do great things.
In Nehemiah’s case, God motivated him to rebuild a wall! Nehemiah may have begun as an ordinary man, but he emerged as one of the most significant leaders in history. He became highly motivated to do a job for God, a job with many difficult and frustrating aspects. What we can learn from Nehemiah is applicable to many leadership issues we face today. For example, we can learn from this book how to relate to a touchy boss; how to balance overall faith in God with personal planning; how a leader should handle discouragement; and what to do about unwarranted criticism.
The book of Nehemiah is really a manual for potential leaders. In it we find timeless and reliable guidelines that work! We are shown how to build character in ourselves and others. Probably the best thing about the book is that its truths are ”dispensed” as unrelated maxims. That is, they are embedded in the life of Nehemiah and modeled by him as he accomplishes an incredible project against unbelievable odds. Nehemiah lived at a time when Jerusalem was extremely vulnerable. Babylon had invaded the city and Virtually destroyed it. Scripture says the house of God, the temple, was burned, and the protective wall around the city was destroyed. Nehemiah’s assignment from God was to rebuild the wall.
According to the book of Nehemiah, Jerusalem was the place God had chosen to live, and its wall represented safety for its people by keeping the enemy out. It allowed the people of Jerusalem to be set apart from other people. The city of Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God’s people. Take time to study the book of Nehemiah. You will find many nuggets of truth that will help you think specifically about leaders. What makes them different; what draws them apart from a pack and causes them to “march to the beat of a different drum?”
Marks Of A Competent, Godly Leader
In Nehemiah we find four significant yet common components in the lives of competent, spiritual leaders.
Recognizes Real Needs
A leader has a clear recognition of needs. Verse 4 of chapter 1 begins, ”When I heard this. . . ” He then asked, ”What’s the condition?” and the people responded, ”It’s a miserable situation.” Evidently Nehemiah paid close attention to what they said. He was not preoccupied.
An ability to recognize basic needs in a given situation may seem elementary, but a danger can arise when those in leadership positions become preoccupied and fail to recognize the problems that need their attention. Sometimes the more commonplace problems escape their notice. Alternatively, it is possible for a person to be overly problem-oriented, where problems become all-consuming. That is not good either. The person who is a real leader will clearly recognize what is needed and find the proper balance.
Identifies With The Needs
A leader cares personally about needs. Nehemiah not only heard the concerns, but identified with them as well. In verse 4 he states, “… I sat down and cried.” This indicates the extent of Nehemiah’s. He wept. He knew the importance of the wall to God and to His people. Notice how he continues: “I refused to eat for several days, for I spent the time in prayer to the God of Heaven.” So, Nehemiah fasted and prayed.
Now, when people fast they go,in a spiritual diet. ordinarily, weight loss accompanies dieting. But fasting means more than just not eating. It means purposely missing meal(s) to spend time with God. It means investing the time to fix, eat, and clean up after a meal in contemplation and/or meditation before God. The more responsibility we shoulder, the more time we should spend on our knees in God’s presence.
Goes to God In Prayer
A conscientious leader with a problem goes first to God. In verse 5, we hear Nehemiah say, “O Lord God … hear my prayer! How do we respond when a need comes to our attention? The most common is to try blame someone or something. That is, to ask, “How did this happen?,” and then to ponder on how this problem can be corrected. Any “people problem,” whatever it is, will not be completely solved until it is taken to God in prayer. Prayer is absolutely essential in the life of a leader.
How are we to pray? First, by praising God …’. Look at verse 5 again. Nehemiah began by saying, “O great and awesome God …”. Then, in verses 6 and 7, we find a confession: “I confess that I have sinned against you.” If you are facing a problem, you will discover that more than likely you contributed to that problem. It is this “contribution” of yours that needs confessing. The problem may I’m love an employee, a vendor, the government, or you may have violated a biblical principle.
You are not to stop with mere confessing. The best part follows. Notice verse 8 in which Nehemiah reminds God: “Remember what you told Moses! … ‘if you return to me and obey my laws … I will bring you back …”. God does not make promises lightly. Rather, He promises that if we will give Him our burdens, He will bear them. If we seek first His Kingdom, He will add other things. If we will make our hearts right before Him, He will lead us into paths of stability and prosperity (see Matthew 6:26-34).
The remainder of Nehemiah’s prayer shows him bringing his petition or desire before God. Look at Nehemiah 1:11: “O Lord, please hear my prayer.” Similarly, we are to tell God what help we need. Of course, He already knows our needs, even though we may not always know. He may want us to be able to identify our need.
Becomes Available To Meet The Need
Leaders make themselves available to meet the need. The mark of a genuine leader is their diligent faithfulness in a situation. This faithfulness is more than just passive agreement. It means personal commitment to being involved in meeting the particular need. It also means taking the problem seriously, beginning with careful observation in order to define the problem. You cannot solve a problem you cannot define. Whatever the problem—whether a compromising alliance allowed in the business, an unruly employee, a situation with money, or something else—the stresses produced are bound to exact their toll.
Thorough observation must then be tied to courageous conviction. Leaders determined to live a godly life need a foundation of firm convictions. In other words, they need a fearless determination together with an inner strength and ability to follow — through toward a goal.
To summarize these points: spiritual leaders must recognize a need; get involved with that need; take the identified need to God; and finally, willingly make themselves available to meet the need head on. Those who decide to follow God’s way will most certainly meet with criticism. They will be told it is impossible to conduct business that way. It’s too idealistic. This indeed is what the world says. But those who persist will find a way, even though the way may be tough. Christians should above all else seek God’s approval. For example, once God’s grace has laid the foundation (in saving souls), it is our task to disciple people. One life wholly devoted to God is of greater value to Him than a hundred that may have been awakened by His Spirit but remain untaught and halfl’teartedly committed. As workers for God we should desire to reproduce ourselves spiritually. Just as God brings us to a standard of life by His grace, we are to help others reach that standard.
Insight And Discernment
Proverbs 2:1-5 states:
“Every young man who listens to me and obeys my instructions will be given wisdom and good sense. Yes, if you want better insight and discernment, and are searching for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure, then wisdom will be given you and knowledge of God himself; you will soon learn the importance of reverence for the Lord and of trusting him.”
The word ”insight” means to be precise , to be wise, to have foresight. It conveys the idea of being shrewd in the practical management of one’s daily affairs. Thus, insight is a trait essential for leaders. Leaders need to be able to see the big picture, to plan for the future, to visualize the outworking of a plan. A leader must therefore ”see” the results of the action ahead of time.
Having a vast knowledge of Bible facts does not guarantee insight. One can study systematically, verse by verse, for years, and still not gain insight. Remember the twelve disciples? They served fish and bread to more than five thousand people when Jesus performed a miracle recorded in all four Gospels. His disciples should have realized from that experience that He had power for every circumstance in life. One would think they learned a valuable lesson watching the loaves and fish multiply in His hands. Apparently they did not, for only a few hours later when they got into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, a storm blew up and they were terrified in the dark with the clouds closing in. They panicked, apparently forgetting the lesson they had been taught only hours before.
It is one thing to understand the theory behind a job, or to have a head full of knowledge about proper management techniques for directing people and accomplishing objectives. But it is quite a different thing to exercise insight in working with people or heading up a business.
Clues For Gaining Insight
Clearly, insight is a valuable Virtue for leaders to possess. But how is it acquired? In Nehemiah 8:13-15 we find these clues for gaining insight.
Realize It Takes Time
To gain insight takes time. No one suddenly becomes wise. David declared in Psalm 119:100 that one did not have to be old to possess understanding. But there is no such thing as instant insight either. So, to gain insight, leaders need time to think, to meditate, to immerse themselves in the whole scene.
Listen To Key People
Leaders need to be in contact with the right people. Insight often ”rubs off from one person to another whose mind is open and teachable. Wise, godly counselors can be great models for those motivated to serve God.
Have The Right Attitude
The third clue for the pursuit of insight is the right attitude. A wealth of information provided by God often comes by way of our peers, but we need a receptive attitude. Teach-ability, motives that are just, and humility all contribute to attitudes conducive to growth in insight.
Time, worthy models and a receptive attitude will all help toward the goal of providing unique leadership. When God gives insight (not just knowledge), we are able to say, “Lord, take over. Nothing in my life is private. Here are the keys.” Total, unreserved obedience is possible because of insight gained. Competent, godly leaders who do possess insight are valuable commodities in the marketplace.
NEXT: Chapter 9: Management
PREVIOUS: Chapter 7: A Successful Business
Chapter 8: Leadership
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Last Updated: 11/2022
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