The Passage: Nehemiah 2:11-16
The Point: A leader always does whatever it takes.
The word “scrappy” is one of my favorite words. When I played basketball, being scrappy meant you were more determined, did the little things well, and hustled more ― regardless of your talent. Honestly the word scrappy basically meant, “Hey, that guy isn’t that great at basketball, but he works hard and offers a lot to the game.” I like to think of that as a compliment. Nehemiah was scrappy. He didn’t do things that normal people can’t do. He wasn’t an all-star. He was just more determined. He did the little things and hustled more regardless of his abilities. In Nehemiah 2:11-16, we see that before Nehemiah went to the PEOPLE in Jerusalem he went to the PROBLEM. Before he declared the plan, he discovered the details.
Talent isn’t enough to get you by. God has gifted each of you exactly how He wants, and now it’s our part to become scrappy. Nehemiah didn’t just get to Jerusalem and start telling everyone he was going to rebuild the wall. Don’t get me wrong. His charisma and passion were great, but it’s in the details like this that we see where his leadership was made. When God calls you to something, maybe instead of declaring it to everyone, you should get on your knees in prayer. Then, begin to hustle before you begin to speak. If God is calling you to reach your neighbors, spend some time hustling on their behalf. Get to know their problems. Is there a pain in their life for which you can provide hope, healing, or a helping hand? If God is calling you to give more financially to the Kingdom, start hustling! Determine where you can stop spending in order to advance the Kingdom. Where can you sacrifice in order to spread the gospel? The church ought to have the scrappiest players in the game of life. We’ve got nothing to lose and a lot to play for. Now, enough chatting; let’s starting planning.
Processing:
- How can you be more “scrappy” for the cause of Christ?
Planning:
- Write down what God is calling you to do. Then take five minutes to plan. Here are some possible questions to help you get started
- What are the problems in the area to which God is calling you?
- What is the hope, healing, or helping hand they need?
- What are some specific and tangible action steps you can do?
- What can you sacrifice to make it happen?
- Who are you going to bring along?