Learning Leadership

The year was 444 B.C., and God was looking for another leader. Thirteen years earlier, in 457 B.C., He had found Ezra—who had journeyed to Jerusalem with 1,700 men and had engaged in the arduous task of re building the ravaged city. Ezra was a fine preacher and a committed spiritual leader, but like each of us, he had his limitations. More than a decade had passed, but the task was still undone. And God, in His search for a second leader, found Nehemiah.

God is always looking for leaders. As much as anything else today, His church needs effective leadership. As we examine the ministry of Nehemiah, 10 qualities of a successful leader become apparent.

The first is concern. When Nehemiah heard the report of Israel's "affliction and reproach," of broken walls and burned gates, he "sat down and wept, and mourned. . ., and fasted" (Neh. 1:3, 4).

Here was a man of deep concern! He might have reasoned: "I have neither the call of a prophet nor the ordination of a priest nor the blood of a king. I am just an ordinary man, the king's cupbearer. It's not my business." Instead, he felt over whelmed with a deep concern for the cause of his God.

Do you and I have that quality of concern? Or are we infected by the virus that leads us to say "It's none of my business" or "What can one man do, anyway?" or "Why worry?" Does the condition of the church—its "affliction and reproach"—bother us? As clumsy as it may sound, we are paid to be concerned. If layman Nehemiah was concerned, what about you and me—called to the ministry?

The second principle of Nehemiah's leadership was his spirit of intercession. His concern drove him to his knees in earnest prayer. He agonized "day and night, for the children of Israel" (verse 6). And when the golden moment of opportunity arrived, before he made his re quest of the king, he "prayed to the God of heaven" (Neh. 2:4).

We all pray—for ourselves, for our families. But how many hours do we spend praying for "Israel"? As Nehemiah prayed, God gave him a vision of how he could be the answer to his own prayer. And the more time we spend on our knees, the more answers we will get to the seemingly insurmountable problems that defy us today.

The third landmark of Nehemiah's leadership was that he had a plan of action. Long before his departure from Persia, he had made an assessment of needs; he obtained royal letters to governors and "a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest" for timber for gates, walls, and a house (verses 7,8). Upon his arrival in Jerusalem, he "arose in the night" and went out to make a comprehensive secret survey. It was a night of inspection—and of inspiration. "Neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do" (verses 11-16). On that night he finalized his plan of action!

Too many leaders move into action without a plan. Like a door upon its hinges, we swing back and forth—get ting nowhere. If we would only invest more time in planning—not only on a yearly basis but also on a daily basis—the investment would pay big dividends.

Salesmanship! That was the fourth dimension of Nehemiah's leadership. Selling the plan. Moving discouraged people into action. Many leaders fail here. When a significant percentage of people do not respond, is it a problem of discipleship, or is it a problem of leader ship?

Notice Nehemiah's strategy (verses 17, 18). He did not start by saying "I am the governor." Instead, he began: "Ye see the distress that we are in." And he encouraged: "Come, and let MS build" and end our reproach. Then he pointed out to his people the movings of divine providence: his governorship, the king's favor. And the disheartened gained courage to stand and say, "Let us rise up and build." What successful salesman ship!

Chapter 3 of the book of Nehemiah might well bear the title "Next Unto Him" or "After Him." Nehemiah gave each his assignment—a portion of the wall to build. And this effective leader saw to it that each did his part. Ellen White tells of a proprietor who fired his foreman for doing the work while his crew watched idly. *

But it is not enough to make people work for us; they should love to work with us. Nehemiah forged a team. His fifth strength was that he fostered team spirit, "The people had a mind to work" (Neh. 4:6). Is your leadership divisive or cohesive?

The sixth attribute of Nehemiah's leadership was that he held to a philosophy of total care. Verses 16-23 paint a graphic picture. In one hand the work man had a tool for building; in the other hand a weapon for defending! Doesn't this portray the dual duty of every minister? With one hand we are building the wall. This is the challenge of evangelism. But we have the second duty of guarding the wall lest while we are building here, Satan is breaking there. This is the challenge of conservation.

Ours is the delicate task of preserving a healthy balance between successful evangelistic outreach and effective pastoral care. And when we face both our personal limitations and the goals of employing organizations, we need the wisdom of Nehemiah to stay in the middle of the road!

People have problems. And the more people we lead, the more problems we must expect. Some leaders generate problems; other leaders ignore problems; effective leaders solve problems! The seventh ingredient of Nehemiah's leadership was his ability to resolve problems.

Chapter 5 tells of the "great cry of the people" (verse 1). Some were without food; others' land was mortgaged. Some were in debt to money lenders; still others had to sell their children into slavery. And the oppressors were wealthy Israelites in positions of leadership!

Nehemiah did not sweep these problems under the carpet to await the arrival of his successor. (While problems wait, they grow!) He confronted the problems immediately and boldly. It is valuable to note that he could act with authority, for he had set an example. During his governorship he lent freely to those in need, and he refused to exact the governor's revenue that was his lawful due. When the oppressors saw his seriousness, they said "We will restore" (verse 12)!

Not only did this leader possess the courage to resolve problems from within; he also had the fearlessness to confront problems from without! He faced Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem with that immortal statement "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down" (Neh. 6:3). He would not be discouraged by their repetition (verse 4) or their variation (verse 10); he would not be detoured by letter of intimidation (verse 5) or by false prophetic exclamation (verse 14).

The eighth dimension of Nehemiah's leadership was his ability to bring his assignment to completion. "So the wall was finished" (verse 15). Too many leaders can start better than they can finish. Not Nehemiah! He brought his project to completion—and that in the amazing time of 52 days. That which had eluded the nation for a dozen years was realized in 52 days!

When some leaders achieve their dreams, they retire. But Nehemiah took at least two more steps. In his philosophy all construction—be it physical, financial, or organizational—was a parable of spiritual reconstruction. So the raising of the wall was a trumpet call to renewal and revival.

Would that the experience of chapters 8 and 9 became our experience today! Before the convocation and the covenant, there was the reading of the law—at the request of the people. There they stood, men, women, and children —the whole family of God—listening attentively for some six hours. And when the priest blessed the people, they joined in jubilant acclamation, "Amen, amen." "Lifting up their hands," they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord. O that our leaders would lead our people into such a revival today!

A revival such as that will not come by talking philosophy, or rehearsing "cunningly devised fables," or sharing excerpts from famous theologians. It will come when we read "in the book of the law distinctly, and [give] the sense, and [cause] them to understand the reading" (Neh. 8:8). Such a revival will cause people to weep tears of sorrow and of joy (verse 9), "for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (verse 10).

Now for the final act, the act of adoration (Neh. 12:27-47). Behold the scene of celebration and dedication! Hear the shouts of gladness "with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps" (verse 27). Hear the choirs singing their antiphonal anthems of praise, causing the nation to "rejoice with great joy ... so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off" (verse 43). Could it be that we do not receive more blessings because we give so little praise? Could it be that our favorite refrain is "Glory for me"?

Behold the pinnacle of praise: "They offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced . . . with great joy" (verse 43). Yes, the summit of their celebration was their sacrifice. Behold the Lamb. Behold His blood. Every act of adoration must be bathed in blood—the blood of the Lamb! Every tribute of thanksgiving must be centered in the cross of Calvary, because all that we have accomplished we have done through the Crucified One. This must be our anthem for time, for it will be our anthem for eternity.

So today, as in the past, God is looking for leaders. He is looking for men and women who are unashamed of self-evaluation and unafraid of rebuilding their leadership; He is looking for leaders who are willing to lead His people to complete their mission, to lead them into the eschatological act of eternal acclamation.

Yes, God is searching; has He found you?