Courageous Conversations
“And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.’ So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:3-4).
Most of us spend our lives trying to project an image of beauty and competence. Certainly, we want others to think highly of us, but one of the things that is most respectable about people is their down-to-earth honesty. An honesty about themselves and their situations. Nehemiah had a plum job. He was working closely with the king, and he lived a life of luxury. His heartbeat was one with God’s heart. He cared about the things God cares about, and when he heard that the people in Jerusalem were suffering, he was broken hearted. He didn’t minimize the problem, and he didn’t fly into a panic of mindless activity. Instead, he let the brutal truth sink in, and he sat down and wept.
Nehemiah had a courageous conversation with the messenger, then he had a courageous
conversation with God. Only courageous people are known for their honesty. It’s a lot easier to look the other way when there are needs in our lives or in the lives of others. We can give the excuse that we have tried as hard as we can or that we don’t have the time to help a person in need. But excuses don’t cut it. Like Nehemiah, we need to let the truth sink into our hearts so we can respond with genuine compassion.
Nehemiah took bold action to gather resources, inspire the people, and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Action for the need is critical. It was not enough to be told about Jerusalem’s needs and move on-- Nehemiah must have the heart to do something about it. What good does it do to hear of a need and then walk away? His heart to act set him on the road to providing the solution.
We need hearts like Nehemiah. No matter the need, we’ll be all in to help. Successful action starts with fundamental honesty about the need.
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