What Are You Building?
"Let us rise up and build." Nehemiah 2:18
Filled with great faith, burdened by a compelling vision, and courageous enough to demonstrate bold leadership, Nehemiah accomplished what seemed to be an impossible task. Out of the rubble and debris of his vanquished homeland, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of an entire city and in so doing, he rebuilt the hope of the people of God.
Nehemiah risked everything to do this. Living in exile under the Persian King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah held what would have been one of the most prestigious assignments in all the land. He was the cupbearer to the king. Part secret service, part advisor, the cupbearer lived a life of great privilege and access. When Nehemiah heard Hanani, his brother, describe the devastation and destruction of Jerusalem, he knew he had to take action. Nehemiah began to pray and fast and cry out to God for his people. Unable to keep this weight to himself, Nehemiah risked his everything to request the king's help to rebuild Jerusalem.
Upon the king's favorable response, Nehemiah threw himself into the work with single vision. With masterful leadership, Nehemiah shared the vision and won support for his bold plan of action. He took a people who had been stuck in the ashes of broken dreams and motivated them to work for the future such that when they heard the vision of what God could do they declared: "Let us arise and build" (Nehemiah 2:18). Even his ability to motivate and move people to action was a huge victory in itself.
Nehemiah's leadership was motivated by two mighty convictions. First, Nehemiah was absolutely convinced that the kingdom of God was worth building. For Nehemiah, Jerusalem wasn't walls of stone and a few gates. Jerusalem was the city of God. It was a place that God had given to His people. It was a place where God's kingdom was expressed on this earth. Nehemiah believed that God's kingdom was worth building. Under the New Covenant, the Kingdom of God is built in the hearts of people. Building the kingdom of God isn't about a physical location as in Nehemiah's day but instead it's about building people. As we invest in leaders, we are building the kingdom of God. As we minister to the needs of God's people, we are building the kingdom of God. As we share the Gospel of Jesus, we are building the kingdom of God. The most significant thing we could do with our lives is to invest them in building the kingdom of God.
Secondly, Nehemiah believed that God would bless His work. Even though he would face many obstacles and opponents, Nehemiah went forward in faith because he believed that "the God of heaven will give us success; therefore we will arise and build..." (Nehemiah 2:20). Nehemiah knew that when he submitted his life and work to God's agenda, that God's blessing would follow. All too often we make our plans and then ask God to bless them. Not Nehemiah--he poured himself into God's work and trusted God to bless it.
When we do the work that God wants us to do, no one wants that work to succeed more than God. Therefore, we can move forward confidently not because of our own ability or capability but because we know God is pleased when we serve Him. No one desires the lost to be saved more than God (1 Timothy 2:4). No one desires Christians to grow in their faith more than Him (2 Peter 1:3-11). This is work that God blesses. There's nothing like putting your life into this work!
Where is God calling you to arise and build? How can you contribute to the work of building God's kingdom? I guarantee it's worth it!