Christian Foundations
DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE
September 14, 2007
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
--Joshua 1:7
Nehemiah was one of the great leaders of the Bible even though he wasn’t a prophet, a priest, or a preacher!
Nehemiah described himself as a cupbearer to the king. He was just a guy who worked hard and had risen to some prominence in his day and time. Nehemiah was just a man… but he was a man whom God raised up!
As we look at his life, there are some steps that Nehemiah took that insured his success… steps that made him a very effective leader. They’re the same steps you can take as a follower of Christ to ensure you’re an effective leader in your sphere of influence as well.
Step number one is to pray fervently. We see this trait over and over again in the life of Nehemiah. He was a man of prayer. Real leaders understand that opportunity swings on the hinges of prayer.
Step number two is to proceed confidently and courageously. You accomplish this by living what Proverbs 3:5-6 says: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Step number three to being an effective leader is to plan wisely. Too often we have an idea… we have a dream… and we just go at it arms flailing, rather than taking time to plan. But there’s a beautiful balance here. There’s the divine side of praying and then there’s the human side of planning. There is agonizing and then there is organizing.
This is why Nehemiah was such a great leader. He not only prayed, he not only proceeded with confidence and trust in the Lord, he planned effectively.
These same steps… when applied to your life as a Christian… will help you become the effective leader God intends for you to be!
become the effective leader god wants you to be by praying fervently, proceeding confidently, and planning wisely
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