Nehemiah was a Jewish exile – but for an exile, he had a great job. He was not out digging ditches or threshing grain in the hot sun. Instead, he worked within the cool halls of the king’s court, serving as cupbearer to Artaxerxes himself. That kind of position suggests extreme competence. He likely had excellent taste, sampling and pairing the finest of wines with the sumptuous meals to be served to the king.
He worked closely with Artaxerxes, and the king knew him well enough to notice Nehemiah’s downcast face one day. How strange it must have sounded to him to hear his soft-handed sommelier explain that he needed to go home and lead a massive construction project.
The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” Nehemiah 2:4-5 NIV
This is a project Nehemiah was fundamentally unsuited for – but nevertheless, God called on him, and Nehemiah accepted. Further, when others criticized him, or when they questioned his motives, Nehemiah remained faithful in the direction he’d received from God. He never wavered.
In our own lives, when we feel directed to share our own gifts in some way, doubt inevitably creeps in: Will it work? Will I do it well? Would somebody else do it better than me? What if I mess it up? And if I do all this, what difference will it make anyway?
But the economy of Heaven seems to look at things differently. God doesn’t seem to measure probabilities of success. He seems to place confidence in our contributions not because we are “the best”, but because these are contributions He is asking us to make. The emphasis seems to be on obedience – not comparison.
When we think of the story of the talents in Matthew 25:19-23, it is interesting to note that the master felt the same happiness with the servant who turned five talents into five more, as he did with the other who turned two into two more. What matters is not the actual number – the point is that God loves effort. God loves risk on his behalf. God loves trust in Him.
Nehemiah’s project was ambitious: Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days! His courage was contagious. That kind of leadership couldn’t help but inspire others to help. A collective project among a group of people with the same heartfelt desire is unstoppable. That humble cupbearer ignited an entirely new level of community. I’m reminded of a saying I once heard:
“Good friends consume together, great friends create together.”
In other words, grabbing lunch or coffee with a friend is fun. But creating something alongside a friend or two or a hundred is next level.
For this week, listen for a quiet call toward a project, a small contribution of some kind, anything you would like to create – either alone, or with others. If you feel a little unsuited for it, maybe slightly overwhelmed — that may be exactly the one God has in mind for you.
by Carie Grant
