Preach the Gospel. Make Disciples. Lead the Church.
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you,” 1 Peter 5:2a
As a child, I never wanted to be a pastor, lead a church, or give my life to the teaching of God’s Word. I can remember wanting to be like my Dad. Often, we desire to emulate a vocation that we first see lived by those who influence our lives. My desire changed as I began college, and quickly I started down the path of veterinary medicine. But then God…
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“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” –1 Corinthians 10:31
Culture is changing rapidly, and it’s hard to keep up. Fads and fashions have continued to change over the years and often resurface in the next generation. Yes, I once had a mullet, and even this 90s trend has recently resurfaced. In the past, the latest fashion or fad would stick around long enough for most people to try it. But now, the latest and greatest can take the world by storm in the morning, only to be replaced in the evening with another dance, word, phrase, viral video, or political gaffe.
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“And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.” — Nehemiah 4:16b-17
For believers, there tends to be tension between Sunday morning and the regular work week. They can seem like two separate worlds – our work life and our Christian life. The dynamics of Sunday morning and the work week have changed since I was growing up and even more so since the pandemic. I grew up in a home with two working parents and come from the generation known as the “latch key kids.” This phrase describes kids with two working parents who come home after school alone and wait for their parents to come home after work. I remember riding the bus home in 3rd grade and losing my house key. Panic gave way to fear and dread as I waited on my parents to get home from the family business. I sat on our front porch stoop from 3:30 to 5:00 pm until my parents arrived home. There were no cell phones or pagers to get in touch with someone. The only phone was locked away in the house, and most of my neighbors worked, too. The landscape of the American workforce has changed since my childhood. Yet, many households still have two working parents, but with technology advancements and the pandemic, many work from home or have a hybrid schedule.
The face of Sunday morning has changed as well. I grew up in the “Bible Belt,” where conservative values impacted society, and most people had a connection to a church. The Bible Belt culture has radically changed as well. Glenn Packiam, in his book, The Resilient Pastor, citing Barna data, states the following concerning the decline in Sunday morning attendance, “Church attendance is also a strong indicator of the presence and influence of Christianity in the culture and its slipping. In the span of a decade, those who say they attend a church service weekly dropped from 45 percent in 2010 to 29 percent in 2020 (it was just as low in 2019).” Barna’s data validates that the landscape of Sunday morning is changing. The church’s influence has been waning over the past few decades. So, if the way we work is changing and the church’s influence is changing, how do we help close the “gospel gap” many people experience daily? We can look to the book of Nehemiah for encouragement, practical application, and a sense of the mission we are called to as believers. Let’s look at three principles we can apply to our lives as Christians.
Nehemiah is a man with a rather important vocation; he is a cupbearer to the King. He had the King’s ear, and his position put him in a prominent place of influence in day-to-day decisions. In Nehemiah 1:2-4, Nehemiah asks a question, “I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, and had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem.” The first step in having a heart for broken people and cities is asking the right questions. There is a big difference between what we should and can do. Nehemiah could have enjoyed his position, oblivious to the trouble Jerusalem and his fellow citizens were experiencing. He could have continued in his job, but he asked the question, and that question led to a broken heart and a decisive plan. You can either continue your job in the day-to-day whirlwind, or you can ask questions that can lead to you having Christlike compassion (or broken-heartedness) for your co-workers. What question do you need to ask yourself about the people who work with you? Are they fulfilled? Are they hurting? Are they walking through a difficult time? Have they connected to a community? Are they connected to a local church? Are they known and loved at the same time? Do they have a faith story? What is the gospel gap in their life? These are just a few questions we can ask about the people we spend so much time with at work. Often, we do our tasks, go home for the day, and never really “know” our co-workers, supervisors, or employees. Yet, when we take the time to care and ask the right questions, we can experience unforgettable God moments!
Nehemiah didn’t just ask the right questions. He had the proper response. Nehemiah heard the response to his question, and he was moved emotionally. Nehemiah 1:3 states, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” It is one thing to hear about the brokenness people experience each day. It’s another thing altogether to be moved in our inner spirit. We hear about bad things all the time. Countries are invaded, people lose their jobs, their families, their peace, and give up on their dreams all the time. But when we are moved in our spirit by the trials of others, it can lead to meeting the needs around us. Notice what happens to Nehemiah’s heart and emotions in the next verse. Verse 4 states, “as soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
I am always convicted yet encouraged by this passage. It causes me to come face to face with the reality that I am often blind to the hardships of others. I hear and see the tragedy they face or the hurt they experience, but often, I do not experience this with them. The gospel gap I often face is the gap of compassion. Yet, there is hope. If I take the time to ask the right questions with the heart and compassion of Jesus, then my conversation in the break room or the ball field can turn into a life-giving conversation of hope and redemption. Mike Emlet, in his book, Saints, Sufferers, and Sinners, writes these words regarding compassion that flows from an understanding of the love we have from the Father through Jesus, “Comfort from the Father cascades down into our lives so that comfort may cascade from our lives into the lives of others who are suffering. Comfort flows downhill.” I like that phrase, “comfort flows downhill.” When we ask the right questions with a heart of compassion and stay long enough with a person to experience what they are facing, we can be a conduit of the Lord’s mercy in their life. Nehemiah runs to God to experience His mercy, which leads to comfort running downhill in the form of a decisive action plan. When was the last time you experienced comfort flowing downhill?
Nehemiah did not stay in his emotions, but he developed a plan to render help to those who were hurting. First, he does not hide his emotions. He boldly asks for resources from the King, using his vocational work for leverage to do what God has called him to do. Next, he makes the trip to walk the broken wall. Finally, he calls the people together to build the walls under his leadership for the glory of God (Nehemiah 2:2-17). This passage of Scripture makes my head spin! Nehemiah springs into action, evaluating a problem, making a plan, and recruiting people to accomplish a colossal task!
What amazes me is not how Nehemiah accomplishes this task but how he combines the skill of vocation and the heart of doing Kingdom work under adversarial circumstances. There were enemies to the left and the right, yet Nehemiah equipped the people to work with one hand and fight with the other. Nehemiah 4:16b-17 states, “and the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.” We see the people working, but they are on alert. Nehemiah has helped close the gap between what they are putting their hands to and what they are called to do as the people of God. The Christian life is often compared to a battle or a fight of faith, but this fight is not waged within the church walls. It’s fought in people’s hearts in everyday life—where we work, live, and play. Everyone you work with is fighting a spiritual battle. The battle is not against one another but the devil, the world, and our flesh. The author John Mark Comer writes these words about the fight against the devil, “Jesus sees our primary war against the devil as a fight to believe truth over lies.” We can help people close the gospel gap and realize the truth of who they were created to be and what they were created to do. We can help them combat the enemy’s lies that are contrary to God’s good plan for their life. So, let us work hard as unto the Lord with a purpose. As we work with the trowel in one hand and our weapon in the other, we fight the good fight of faith in our workplace with boldness, love, and humility. Pointing everyone to the One who has saved our souls!
So, as yourself the right questions. Who is lonely, afraid, hopeless, and anxious where you work? Who is experiencing a gospel gap, believing the lies of the enemy? Whose “walls” have been broken and wrecked by their circumstances, sin, or the sin of another? To whom do you need to ask the right question, experience the right emotions, and fight for them as you work alongside them?