Leadership 32
We need wall-builders: someone who can come alongside us and rebuild the walls of our world, of our country, of our culture so that “we may no longer be a reproach.” (Nehemiah 2:17) After seeing the devastation with his own eyes (Nehemiah 2:12-16) Nehemiah realized the enormity of the task. But the first brick in the wall, so to speak, was rallying the people around a common purpose. “Come, let us build the wall….” (Nehemiah 2:17) It was an “us” job, not a “we” job. Sometimes we point to a problem and we think or say, “somebody should take care of that.” Or it may be more pointed: “You should take care of that.” But Nehemiah wisely used the right word: “US.” It is an US problem and requires an US solution to be successful.
Too many “US” jobs become a one-person task. God puts us in a body for the purpose of allowing the full strength of all of US to get to the task of reaching the world. “We are all part of the body of Christ, and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27) This flies in the face of a culture that prefers to sub-contract important tasks out to the “professionals.” But when we return to the organic purpose of why we are the church, we realize that US is the central work force.
Many years ago a writer described the church like an NFL football game. He said there were eleven players on the field badly in need of rest being watch by 50,000 people in the stands badly in need of exercise! That’s so like the church. The numbers, sadly, do not change much: 20% of the people carry 80% of the load. Churches that get off dead center are those who learn how to active the resources of the 80%!
As we move forward to “rebuild the wall” that has fallen in our culture, it takes more than a few. 20% can’t make this happen.
It will take US.
FOR MEDITATION: Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” Nehemiah 2:17
FOR REFLECTION: When you see a problem is your first thought to say, “Lord what should I do to help resolve this?” or is it “Somebody should fix this?” Most problems we encounter will require an “us” (meaning “YOU”) solution in conjunction with others. Ask God to help you find your place in His plan.
