Leadership Lessons from a Passionate Prophet
While Katie was on writing leave in September of 2020, Rev. Dr. Irie Session preached a sermon series for us, drawing on the book of Nehemiah.
A Leader’s compassion for the people makes her vulnerable among the people. C.S. Lewis suggests, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken…”
Nehemiah’s heart was broken when he heard of the plight of his people Israel. And, he wasn’t shy or reserved about expressing his heartbreak. In fact, it was written all over his face. Nehemiah teaches us that vulnerability “is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”
While Nehemiah was doing it scared, he became brave in the process. His bravery gave him the courage to ask for more…what he needed to help his people rebuild. Spiritual leaders are often scared as well. Yet, healthy spiritual leaders learn to manage their fear and anxiety in ways that are life giving both for themselves and the people they lead.
Healthy spiritual leaders are that way because they have been through the fire. They have gained wisdom from their mistakes, pitfalls, and personal insecurities. One of major the mistakes spiritual leaders make is underestimating opposition. All too often spiritual leaders assume those they’ve been called or hired to lead are willing going to follow their leadership. Not so. There will be opposition. Nehemiah had opposition, haters who didn’t want he or his people to rebuild, to flourish. Nehemiah also shows us a way forward. He demonstrates how to handle haters.
Healthy spiritual leaders get the job done but not alone. The African proverb, “It’s takes a Village to raise a child,” also has implications for spiritual leadership. It takes a village to carry out the plans and purposes of God. Whether you’re a pastor, lay person, ministry leader or member, you need other people partnering with you to accomplish and carry out the ministry mission. Nehemiah knew it too. He understood his role not as a solopreneur but a leader in need of a community to collaborators for the common good.