Leadership from the book of Nehemiah
...ma. If a leader leads by his smooth abilities and has no character to be on time, people are not going to want to follow him. The people only go as far as the leader goes. If you want people to follow, you have to set the example. The Bible tells us, “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” Pastor Trieber the person we are supposed to follow because his leadership is in direct proportion to his character. He is a man that lives up to his word and practices what he preaches. Leaders must have the character to walk with God every morning and to make sure he stays right with God. The greatest key to character is consistency. Consistency to do something for a period of time then leads to a habit, whether good or bad, and then builds one’s character. Nehemiah had character by seeking God and finishing his task to build the wall. Now that we have established some of the basic laws of leadership, let us look at some of the characteristics a person might possess to become a more effective leader. Remember, these leadership principles are a reflection of what is found in the Bible and not from the world’s point-of-view. The difference is, although some principles may be the similar, we Christians have the power and blessings from God. The power of prayer is said to be the most powerful force on earth. I believe it! When the most modern technology and the power of man fail, prayer intercedes. When all seems lost and there’s no way out, prayer brings hope. Prayer is a characteristic a good leader must have. When people told Pastor Trieber, “It can’t be done”, “there’s no way you can build a church on an acre of land”, the prayer of few made the difference. When Nehemiah heard about the wall of Jerusalem, he prayed. “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,” Nehemiah was very genuine and sacrificial in his prayers. The Bible says, he wept and mourned and fasted. This characteristic is indispensable when it comes to being a leader in the ministry and a must for true leadership. The characteristic of compassion is a very important characteristic to have. A leader without love will achieve little for his purpose. The Bible tells us, “And of some have compassion, making a difference:” Love matters most in leadership. “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity; The Bible tells us that charity is the greatest, because without love, a leaders can not express his ideas across to the people he is leading. Pastor Trieber is a great man of compassion; he displays his concerns toward his people by his way of preaching and conversation with people. His willingness to learn everybody’s name conveys a man with love for the people he pastors. Nehemiah displays his compassion in verse one of chapter four again by weeping and mourning for his people. Integrity is being a person of honesty and sincerity. This is a good leadership characteristic because people are more willing to follow someone who is sound in what they do and if they trust in his example. David said, “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.” A good leader must first recognize his own sin as much as he does so in others. Nehemiah did this when he said, “…I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.” Nehemiah said I and my father’s house have sinned, he confessed his sins and the sins of Israel as well. To be a more effective leader, integrity is a key principle to follow. “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” The Bible tells us people must have a vision for the things that they do or they will lose the willingness to do it. Effective leaders must give their people a sense of grasping for a goal to keep the people encouraged. A vision means a change; if people have a hope for change then they are kept encouraged by seeing something happen. Pastor Trieber is a prime example of a leader with vision. His ability to keep a constant project going and to start new ones is vision for a successful ministry. Without Pastor Trieber’s vision, we wouldn’t have this great Bible College and of the new auditorium. Pastor Trieber’s vision also inspires others. People are always watching what is being done, and Pastor is always setting the example of how to do it. Nehemiah had a vision as well. He inspired the people to build on the wall, and therefore, had the vision of seeing the wall finished. An effective leader will recognize his weaknesses. Every leader has strengths and weaknesses, but the ability to learn what is your strength and your weakness is essential. Recog...