Nehemiah 4:15-18
When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.
Rarely do you hear a talk on leadership without Nehemiah’s name coming to the fore. He is an exemplar of what good leadership is in many ways. In fact, the entire book of Nehemiah is filled with leadership lessons from his example: He is burdened by the plight of his people; he makes the right assessment of the problem and resources needed; he knows where to get what is needed and how to ask for the same; he rallies people to attain the goal that is before them; he brings justice and ends oppresions to the poor; he institutes reforms; etc.
In our text today, Nehemiah shows another important aspect of leadership. He learns of those who oppose the work that he is leading and that they were threatening to attack. While the people are disheartened and discouraged, he urges them to continue with the work. However, he does not treat the threats lightly but makes provision for them. And so the work continues but with some people holding guard with their weapons and the builders also armed and ready to defend themselves. Nothing would stand in the way of Nehemiah and the burden that the Lord has placed in his heart. This is what strategic leadership looks like. One identifies the opportunities available while taking into consideration the threats against them. With these, he crafts a strategic path towards achieving the vision that they set out to achieve at the beginning. If only all of us would be like Nehemiah.
Reflections
1. What has been your most impactful lesson this week?
2. How can you be like Nehemiah in your various leadership spaces?
