See. Pray. Act. Leading Like Nehemiah, Part III – Act
What will your Covid-19 story be?
Imagine in the years to come when you reflect back and remember lockdown life – the highs and the lows – what will be your story to tell?
Everyone will have a story of circumstances beyond our control, moments where any sense of power or control over how we live our day-to-day lives seems to be removed as we lived from headline to headline.
But what will be the second story? Your story of what came out of the pressure, the confusion and the restriction. While the first story is the grand narrative of big events, shared trials and celebration, it is our second story that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
It’s our small choices: the things that, despite the odds, formed us into being more of who God has called us to be rather than less. It’s the story of us standing in the rubble of Covid-19 and looking down to see what is in our hands to rebuild.
Nehemiah’s leadership follows a rhythm of See, Pray and Act. He sees the state of his beloved Jerusalem. He mourns, he grieves and prays. He prays before, he prays during and prays after. But he also makes a choice. He uses his position of authority as the cup bearer to the king to actually do something. It was risky, but in that moment he receives both permission and provision for the task ahead. He travels to Jerusalem and investigates the ruins, not announcing his plans to anyone but eventually gathering the priests and his people to give them a call to action.
‘Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
‘They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.’
— Nehemiah 2:17–18
It’s a moment in the story where the problem and solution scenario in front of them is pretty depressing. The problem? Jerusalem lies in ruins. The solution? Rebuild. A brick at a time.
It’s not the big movie moment which would be quick and dramatic. It would be slow, it would be dangerous and people would disagree, mock and try to derail them. But this was what was in their hands. A small act for each individual, but with each person playing their part the walls were rebuilt. As you read on you will see that Nehemiah recruits people of every profession, every age and stage and they rebuild one brick at a time alongside each other in the most beautiful model of delegation, community and team.
‘The problem? Jerusalem lies in ruins. The solution? Rebuild. A brick at a time’
For us at the start of 2021 the problem and solution scenario may feel just as overwhelming. But instead of letting that cripple us into inactivity we can flip it into an opportunity to rebuild with what is in our hands.
Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective people offers a model called the Circle of Influence.
Draw a circle on a piece of paper and write down all the things that are in your life that you have some form of interaction or influence over. Things like your family, your job and the people you work with, your friends. Write this down inside your circle. This space is called the Circle of Influence. Then draw a bigger circle around that circle and in that space write down the things that are on your mind that are out of your immediate reach. Things like Covid-19, the economy, social media, foreign politics. This space is called your Circle of Concern.
Covey says that if we think on and try to tackle our circle of concern first, then our Circle of Influence actually decreases. We become overwhelmed with things that are out of our control and we can’t see the people or issues in front of us that we can actually shape or steer. However, when we first concentrate on the people and tasks in our Circle of Influence, Covey points out that the size of our circle starts to increase.
When we talk about leading in this moment we might think about our government or people in named positions of authority. But when we say yes to Jesus, we are partnering with God to bring about his way of doing things. There has never been a more pressing time for resilient disciples of Jesus to lead in the spaces where they already find themselves. You have an opportunity to lead in your friendships, your school, your workplace, or your Zoom call. This is what is in your hands. These are the people we are called to bring something of the Kingdom of God to – whether it’s a friendly text to someone who is struggling, intentionally choosing to speak out encouragement to your team or go out of your way for someone who needs extra support. It might feel insignificant, but a brick at a time and everything can change.
Nehemiah and the Jewish people with him were in it for the long haul. If you feel your resilience running out, your stamina depleting or if you read of a Sphere of Influence and want to throw your phone out the window, then chances are you have forgotten who it is who is really in charge of the building project. No sooner has Nehemiah given the call to action than he is met with discouragement, disagreement and ridicule:
‘But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”’
His reply sets the tone and enables the resilience and momentum to preserve:
‘I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding…”’
— Nehemiah 2:19–20
Time and time again Nehemiah relies on, seeks, declares and trusts the power of God in all they are doing. They will go to work and give their all with what is in their hands. But it is the God of heaven that will grant them success, that will strengthen Nehemiah’s hands (6:9), that will fight for their families (4:14) and hear them when they face opposition (4:4).
‘When we say yes to Jesus, we are partnering with God to bring about his way of doing things. There has never been a more pressing time for resilient disciples of Jesus to lead in the spaces where they already find themselves’
We begin 2021 with a call to action: a renewed calling to serve the people who God has put in front of us. But we act taking one brick at a time. We remember that it is God who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine who works within us, alongside us, ahead of us and within us. Nehemiah was one man who saw the needs of the people in the cultural moment he found himself in. He prayed, knowing that he was one man who knew the one God who could move mountains and he made a choice to get involved with what God was doing.
Take some time to draw your own Circle of Influence and Circle of Concern. Spend time with Jesus praying about both circles.
Spend some time praying into the things you have written in your Circle of Influence. What would you love to see Jesus do in the lives of the names in this circle? What might Jesus be asking you to do? Write down one thing you can do tomorrow?
Then give him the Circle of Concern. Use the Lord’s Prayer if you don’t know how to start.
Finish by asking the Holy Spirit to give you all you need to pick up the first brick and trust in his faithfulness to lead you forwards into the year.