How to become a disciplined leader

Nehemiah was the personal cupbearer to the great Persian King Artaxerxes. He lived a life of incredible luxury. Despite his pagan environment, he never forsook the Lord. When he heard of the destruction of Jerusalem, he gave up the pleasures of the royal court and took on the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding the city. Nehemiah knew he could not manage such a crisis alone. His only chance was in seeking God’s help. Nehemiah reminds us that even during our times of greatest pain and difficulty, we still have access to God. Like Nehemiah, we must pray specifically and persistently. God will then bless us beyond anything we can imagine.

Nehemiah was one of the great leaders of all time. He was called by God to give Jerusalem a new beginning. In spite of opposition, Nehemiah stayed on the job and saw the holy city restored. He was the kind of person who cared. George Bernard Shaw said, “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent toward them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.” Nehemiah cared about his heritage, his ancestral city and the glory of God. In Nehemiah 1:1-11 he revealed this caring attitude in four ways.

* First, Nehemiah cared enough to ask in verses 1-3. Nehemiah served as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes Longimanus who ruled from 464-423 BC. A cupbearer was much more than our modern butler. It was a position of great responsibility and privilege. At each meal, he tested the king’s wine to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. A man who stood that close to the king in public had to be handsome, cultured, knowledgeable and able to converse with the king and advise him if asked. The cupbearer was a man of great influence.

Verse 2 says, “… and I (Nehemiah) asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.” Why would Nehemiah inquire about a struggling remnant of people who lived hundreds of miles away? Nehemiah was comfortable and secure in his life. A century and a half earlier the prophet Jeremiah asked, “For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask how you are doing?” (Jeremiah 15:5) Nehemiah was the man God chose to do those very things. Some people prefer not to know what’s going on because information often brings obligation. Nehemiah asked about Jerusalem and the people living there because he had a caring heart.

* Second, he cared enough to weep in verse 4. What makes people laugh or weep is often an indication of character. People who laugh at others’ mistakes or misfortunes or who weep over trivial personal disappointments are lacking in either culture or character. Nehemiah’s weeping was a sign of strength as it was with Jeremiah (Jeremiah 9:1), Paul (Acts 20:19) and the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 19:41). Nehemiah was like the Lord Jesus in that he willingly shared the burden that was crushing others. “The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me” (Psalm 69:9, Romans 15:3). When God puts a burden upon your heart, do not try to escape it. If you do, you may miss the blessing God has planned for you. Nehemiah spent several days fasting, weeping and praying. He knew that somebody had to do something to rescue Jerusalem and he was willing to go.

* Third, he cared enough to pray in verses 5-10. Twelve times in this book Nehemiah prayed. He was a man of faith who depended upon the Lord to accomplish the work. Alan Redpath said this about the church’s ministries today, “There is too much working before men and too little waiting before God.”

In verse 5 Nehemiah pointed out that God keeps his word. “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments….” Most of Nehemiah’s prayer was devoted to confessing sin (verses 6-9). Verse 6 says, “… and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned.” Nehemiah used the pronoun “we” and not “they.”

Does God forgive sin? Definitely. Sin is forgiven through the sacrifice Jesus made upon the cross. The wrath of God the Father was poured out upon God the Son on the cross. Jesus paid the price for our sins. Therefore, God will forgive sin when we respond with repentance and faith.

* Fourth, Nehemiah cared enough to volunteer in verse 11. Nehemiah volunteered to return to Jerusalem and lead the rebuilding of the walls. He simply said, “Here am I, send me.” Approaching the king and requesting a leave of absence was fraught with peril. The monarch’s word meant life or death. Nehemiah faced a monumental test of faith. He knew that his God was a great God and would see him through.

He sacrificed the comfort and security of the palace for the dangers and difficulties of life in a ruined city. Luxury would be replaced by ruins and prestige by ridicule and slander. Instead of sharing the king’s food, Nehemiah would personally pay for others to eat at his own table. He left behind a life of ease and took up the task of encouraging a beaten people to undertake an almost impossible task.

Disciplined leadership is built upon a foundation of caring. Abraham cared and rescued Lot from Sodom. Moses cared and delivered the Israelites from Egypt. David cared and brought the people back to the Lord. Esther cared and saved her people from genocide. Paul cared and took the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Jesus the Messiah cared and died on the cross for a lost world.

God is still looking for people like Nehemiah who care enough to ask for the facts, weep over the needs, pray for God’s help and then volunteer to get the job done. “Here am I, send me.”

Ethan Hansen is the pastor at Faith Bible Fellowship in Big Lake. He can be reached at ethanchansen@gci.net.

Ethan Hansen is pastor at Faith Bible Fellowship of Big Lake. Contact him at ethanchansen@gci.net.