Nehemiah 13 – Ownership

It’s never really sunk in for me the significance that after the wall was finished, Nehemiah left Jerusalem to regain his post with King Artaxerxes. I knew he left, but hadn’t realized that he left without expectation to return and be in charge. That would be hard. To work so hard, oversee such a massive project, then leave it. Much less to leave it and hear of it’s fading back into the dark.

Our nature is to invest of ourselves in something and automatically feel like that effort gives us right of ownership. This is a real problem for those of us in Christian leadership. But Nehemiah knew that the wall project was not about, nor was it for him, it was about and for God.

“Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.” – Nehemiah 13:14

His leaving does not lesson his significance or the importance of his leadership role. Nehemiah still had a responsibility to speak into the path the people had taken. And he called out on God to protect his leadership investment.

We cannot control others. We can speak truth to them. We can set the example. But we cannot determine their steps. What we can do is ask God to bless our efforts based on our faithfulness. If our hearts are in the right place, if we look at God’s work as God’s work and not ours, Nehemiah shows us that this is a fair request.

Four times Nehemiah requests that God remembers his faithfulness. And in his final statement he asks God to not only remember, but to “remember him with favor.”

The amazing thing about our God is that not only does He allow us to ask him to remember our faithfulness, in the same prayer, He gives us the right to ask him to remember our trespasses no more. That’s humbling. Thank you Lord.