Seven Lessons in Servant Leadership: Nehemiah

Lesson Three

Reflection

There is a saying, “Proper planning prevents poor performance.” This saying, commonly referred to as “the five Ps,” is valuable advice for life in general. However, it is sage counsel for those in leadership positions. A common pitfall many leaders fall into is the instinct to immediately jump to action when presented with a problem or a challenge. Perhaps it's a desire to appear decisive and confident—or possibly the result of a genuine desire to resolve the particular issue at hand. Whatever the reason, action without proper preparation can be disastrous and appear to result from imprudent and impulsive behaviour. Nehemiah, on the other hand, shows us a more prudent and calculated approach.

Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. (Neh 2:12-13)

Application

We can learn many lessons from how Nehemiah went about assessing the issue.

Nehemiah assessed the issue before announcing his plans. Scripture tells us that Nehemiah spent three days in Jerusalem before heading out to inspect the wall. (Neh 2:11) This would have given him time to evaluate the city's atmosphere and the people he would need to tackle the project. After three days, Nehemiah set out to inspect the wall. (Neh 3:11) It was only after properly assessing the situation he addressed his countrymen, “the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials and those who were to do the work.” (Neh 2:16) Though communication is essential for any leader and any organization, strategic communication involves proper timing. 

Nehemiah kept wise counsel.  Verse eleven states that Nehemiah did not head out into the city to inspect the wall alone. Instead, he selected a few trusted individuals to accompany him. A common error leaders make is failure to invite others into the work, especially during the initial planning phase. As a result, there is little to no buy-in from others when seeking solutions to problems or launching new initiatives. 

Biblical servant leadership involves seeking out God’s will and trusting Him as we put our faith into action. It also requires that we do our part. The good news is that we don’t have to tackle the challenges alone. In the next lesson, we will explore Nehemiah's strategy for rebuilding the wall and gate. 

Explore the Word

Nehemiah 2:12-13

Proverbs 21:5

Proverbs 16:3

Yours in Christ,

Brad