Nehemiah Chapter 3 at first glance can cause us to run away. As I was reading and praying this past week I couldn’t help but think, “God what are you trying to say through these passages to the Church?” Pondering the words of scripture, three things began to stand out.
1. When taking on a large task, it is good to have a vision of what the end product should look like.
Too often when we undertake a large task, we become frustrated because we can not envision the finished product. Little tasks have very little significance unless we can see them as contributing to the big task. Unless we realize the importance of the little things, we will often “shotgun” many things hoping that something will take hold. End result, while we may hit the target, out aim has very little impact on the larger task.
Notice how Nehemiah takes on the task of rebuilding the gates and walls of Jerusalem. He tackles the gates first, the walls second, and then puts the finishing touches on the project. By starting with the gates, the vision of rebuilding Jerusalem is set before the people in a way that ownership of God’s vision is accepted by the people. The gates represent the most visible part of the wall. By starting here people see the work being done. The people then are motivated to contribute their labor to the work.
2. Nehemiah undertakes the walls second. Often times in our community of faith we place people in positions where they have no passion. Nehemiah knew by assigning work around the areas where the people lived, the people would have an invested interest in completing the task. Think about this for a second, how many times in our church councils do we assign a person to fill a spot instead of placing a person where they can use their talent and have passion for the ministry they undertake.
3. Move beyond the opposition by staying focused on the mission. Nehemiah encountered a monumental task. Many of us would have thrown our hands in the air and walked away. Nehemiah prayed, planned, and persevered. When not everyone bought into the vision, Nehemiah was able to overcome this internal opposition by staying focused on the mission. The mission was important enough to move beyond the distraction created when the nobles would not work in v. 3:5.
In the church, opposition will begin internally as a leader speaks of change. Often times it is simply someone who refuses to buy into the vision. Their objection is important to address through the eyes of Christ. It is then that we as leaders can address the objection through love,
Unity in Community is the end but it looks more like, Unity in Vision Results in Community of Love. It is the vision that unifies us but it is the love of God that makes us a community.
