Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!” (Nehemiah 4:14)
How involved are you in the lives of others? If you are a leader, how much do you really care for the people in your organisation—I mean as individuals? This week, how much of your life will be spent meeting the needs of another? Or is it all wrapped up in yourself? If we want to foster a spirit of service within the groups we lead, we must be the first to step out and model the behaviour we hope to see. Each one of us should take a long look at our short lives, taking special note of our personal investment in the lives of others, especially the people we lead.
Discouragement is indeed a debilitating disease, but it need not become terminal. Left to itself, it can be. But remedies are available. Nehemiah utilised at least five strategies to keep the people of Jerusalem on-task and on-target, helping them achieve more than they imagined and all they dared to hope for. Glance back over Nehemiah’s experience and compare his set of circumstances to yours. Be honest as you carry out this next mental project. Do you detect symptoms of discouragement in your organisation? Think objectively. Study Nehemiah’s five strategies below and see how you might adapt them to your situation.
- Unify your efforts toward a goal. The first thing Nehemiah did was rally the people around the goal.
- Direct your attention to the Lord. Nehemiah directed the attention of the people to the Lord and away from the rubble.
- Maintain a balance between faith and action. Nehemiah urged the people to resume building the wall, but his urging didn’t ignore the very real danger of attack. Guard against the subtle teaching that suggests that God does everything and you step back and do nothing.
- Determine a rallying point. The purpose of the rallying point is to ensure that the people face their attackers together. The principle: don’t try to fight alone. To overcome discouragement, always face adversity together.
- Develop a “serve-one-another” mentality. If we want to foster a spirit of service within the groups we lead, we must be the first to step out and model the behaviour we hope to see.
Don’t allow the disease of discouragement to run its course. Otherwise, you’ll never know what great things could have been accomplished.
