They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the LORD our Lord . . . . “We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.” (Nehemiah 10:29, 39)
There are some very simple—but life-changing—principles that I glean from the verses in Nehemiah 10. The first is that serious thought precedes any significant change. You never change areas of your life that have not been given serious thought. We need to schedule some quiet times in our lives, times for thinking and reflection.
Second, written plans confirm right priorities. Do you really want to maintain the right priorities? Write them down! I suggest you begin to keep a journal. You may have some ideas floating around in your head, but they need to be nailed down. I learned years ago that complex, ethereal thoughts become straightforward, concrete strategies when spoken or put in ink. Your thoughts may be good, but they will remain forever entangled if they haven’t been thought through and written down. The ability to put first things first will elude you until your purpose, objectives, and plans are written out.
Third, where the world is concerned, distinction and conformity pull us in opposite directions. Do you want to know today whether you have really conformed to this world or not? Ask yourself, “How distinctive am I?” This has nothing to do with religious activity or how much involvement you have at church. Distinction is a measure of how authentic your ethics and your conduct are when compared to New Testament Christianity. Look at your life, your home, your work, your worship, and then ask yourself, “Am I really distinct? Could a person get to know the real me and see God’s message on display?”
The leaders who have meant the most to me in my life are those who are authentic. They are men and women who have thought before they acted, who have put first things first, and who have maintained their distinctiveness as Christian men and women. I thank God every time I notice a particular contribution one of them has made in my life.
Think. Then do the things that need to be done in the order of their importance. People gravitate to leaders who live by that philosophy. Having met and been with such people, I’ve never been the same.
