As we see in the end of Nehemiah, there is a time of celebration (see Nehemiah 12). It was such a great time of celebration. In the midst of that, Nehemiah remembered something critical: he remembered who got him started in the first place and went back to visit. He went back to Artaxerxes, King of Babylon. Scripture does not share the details, so we can only assume that he went back to say, ‘Thank you” and to share stories of success, God’s provision and protection, and the unity that was happening in Jerusalem. As we often say in Nashville, “Remember the little people.” Okay, maybe only I say that to people who are getting good at playing the guitar. Nehemiah remembered where he came from and was thankful.
We all start small. We all start with convincing one person that our idea is worth putting effort into. When we see victory, we can go back and share the stories of success with those that helped us get there.
Note that I said ‘when we see victory’ rather than ‘when all the difficulties were over’. I say that because while the celebration in chapter 12 already happened and Nehemiah was visiting the little people, he still dealt with conflict until the end. Three times while visiting the king, Nehemiah used the words, “Remember me for this, O my God” in reference for the integrity he kept in dealing with conflict and problems.
Leadership will never be over. We will have seasons of celebration. We will always be dealing with conflict, even in the midst of celebrating. It is worth it. It is worth the time, stress, and endurance that it takes to see the hope of Christ in every student by uniting the local body of Christ with a plan of action to influence the schools with the gospel.
Peace,
Brad
