By Chad Hershberger
This blog post is part of a series on leadership lessons from the prophet Nehemiah.
As we continue our look at leadership through the lens of the Book of Nehemiah, there are three themes Nehemiah shows us in Chapters 6, 7, and 8. These three themes are truth, service, and appreciation.
Chapter 6 shows us how leaders resist underhanded politics. Some of Nehemiah’s adversaries tried smear tactics to try to shut down the building of the wall. Opponents who are frustrated often resort to that approach. But Nehemiah dismissed it. We don’t know why, but maybe it was because Nehemiah knew he was trustworthy in the sight of the king. He knew none of what they were saying against him would stick.
When thinking about this principle, I am reminded of some of the politic rhetoric that has plagued our country recently. What we hear is not always true. Leaders need to be truthful and tell us like it is even when it might be difficult to hear. They need to be upfront and honest.
In Chapter 7 of Nehemiah, we are reminded that leaders serve people. In scripture, we can see leaders who get actions done and serve people in the process. Nehemiah was not just trying to rebuild the wall, but he was trying to revitalize the people of Israel and get them back to God.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw so much service to people. Pastors rose to the challenge and used their God-given talents to produce creative ways for their parishioners to connect with God. My outdoor ministry colleagues helped each other out and provided collegial support to one another, sharing resources they developed. Why did they do all this? Service. Not only to their parishioners and colleagues, but in service to their God.
Another lesson we learn from Nehemiah is the value of appreciation. When I was a college student, one of my campus pastors at Penn State Lutheran Campus Ministry taught me a life lesson that sticks with me today. No matter what I did, whether it be read scripture or serve communion at worship, or serve as an officer in the parish, he always thanked me. At first when he arrived on campus and started doing that, I was taken aback. I thought to myself, “I just read the lessons. That was no big deal.” But I really came to appreciate his style of being grateful and recognizing my service. He is now a retired synodical bishop in the ELCA, and I bet to this day he continues to practice that trait.
Nehemiah, in Chapter 8, reminds us of this practice, too. Leaders celebrate often. Especially, Christian leaders who appreciate the value of celebrating the great things God has done through their organizations. When goals are reached and we see God’s handiwork, we should celebrate and give glory of God!
Nehemiah did this when the wall was complete. He and Ezra read from scripture and the community joined in. In fact, those who were there were honored and recognized by having their name in the scriptures!
How often do you recognize those who help you in your work? In my setting, in addition to the usual thank you note, we often recognize volunteers in our monthly newsletter and donors in annual giving reports. We remind friends that we need the help of a lot of people to do God’s work in our place. We take time to recognize the efforts of the cloud of witnesses who help us do our work.
Nehemiah also added the instruction to “send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared” (Nehemiah 8:10). In other words, he told them to bring the poor to the party. What does this mean for us? We should share the wealth and spread the joy. We are to think of others and look for ways to fulfill their needs. That can be done with all those who we recognized as friends, volunteers, and supporters.
Don’t forget to recognize those who have helped you along the way. Appreciation, truth, and service. May we be like Nehemiah and put those principles into action as we lead others.
Other entries in this series:
Part 1: Nehemiah and team leadership
Part 2: Building up and creating order out of chaos
Part 3: More lessons from Nehemiah
Part 4: Spiritual care and the rewind