Doing My Part
So many issues hang over us like dark clouds.
Wars in the Middle East and Ukraine
Abortion
Needs of foster children
Rise of homelessness
Divorce rates
Gender confusion at alarming numbers
Plague of pornography
Human trafficking
And …..
There is no level of importance by the order of the issues above. It just reflects the order they popped into my brain. Nor do I think the list is comprehensive. But I have no desire to overwhelm or exhaust you by continuing with all the bad news.
The sheer number of issues and serious nature of the fallout each brings can paralyze me. Do you feel the weight? Do you wonder what you should do or which problem you should address?
Do you ever binge a Netflix show instead of thinking about it?
Yep—me too.
What Should I Do?
When overwhelmed, I tend to shut down. I can’t address all the things that worry me. I can’t make more than a dent in anything I try to address. So why should I even try?
Again, binging a show sometimes suffices in order to numb my discontent. I particularly enjoy British crime drama.
In Nehemiah 3, an alternative solution presents itself.
I’ve always loved Nehemiah. Here’s a man who sees the problem, risks his own life, rallies the people, and sets to work fixing it. I love that. No analysis paralysis for Nehemiah.
This week, as I read this chapter in my quiet time, the Lord began to work in my mind and heart about my own paralysis.
Let me give you a very quick recap of where this chapter finds God’s people. Jerusalem lay in ruins just as God warned would happen because the people worshiped other gods and ignored the true Lord. After seventy years of captivity, a group had returned under Zerubabbel and who were later joined by Ezra. Eventually, back in Babylon, Nehemiah receives a report about how bad it is. He begs special favor of the king who allows him to go to Jerusalem to address the situation.
And this is what he finds The entirety of the wall around Jerusalem lay in ruins. It ALL needed to be rebuilt. The job’s magnitude had kept anyone from even beginning.
What’s In Front Of Me?
Nehemiah inspects the wall and announces the solution. He divides the labor. No one was responsible to rebuild all of the wall. Just their portion.
When you first read this chapter it might seem like a boring list, but don’t get bogged down in the names. I underlined the phrases “next to him,” “next to them,” and “after them.” If I can count correctly, these occur 27 times. But there are at least 34 groups of people building. (If you want to confirm or correct my numbers, please google, a step I didn’t take!)
My recording of how many groups were working was not for studious accuracy but to reinforce the point. Take any mammoth problem and divide it amongst those who can address it and viola!, it suddenly feels manageable.
What Lays Heavy?
What weighs on you heart? Too many things? Too big of things to know where to start?
As a believer in Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in me. Therefore, I am not alone, wandering in the morass with no way to figure out the next step. Also, I am not responsible for everything. That’s the God of the Universe’s responsibility.
I’m not required to follow through on every idea in my head. But I should listen to the Spirit so that I know which portion of the wall to work on. It could be clearing rubble. It might be gathering materials for building. It might be making lunch so fellow workers can keep working. But sister, because we belong to Jesus, we each have a portion of the wall to build
When we get to Nehemiah 4, we will see that jobs include carrying a sword or blowing a trumpet. I’ll get more into that in the next post.
But for now, let’s look at some easy steps to combat the overwhelm and the analysis paralysis.
Action Steps
Pray. Don’t skip Nehemiah’s first step. In Nehemiah 1, his first response to learning of the problem was prayer and fasting!
Evaluate. Nehemiah 2 finds our man circling the wall and looking at the problem.
Make a list of what stirs your heart.
Pray through those and see what the Lord emphasizes in your spirit.
Your Portion. Choose a portion and get to work. You don’t need to do it all. But you can do something.
Research to find someone who ministers in your area of deepest concern.
Give treasure. Small monthly gifts can make a huge difference.
Give time. Call the organization and ask what is a practical way you can help.
Give talent. Volunteer somewhere local, Ask the Lord how He would have you use the gifting He has given you to rebuild the part of the wall in front of you!
We are the church, the living body of Christ on earth. Believers in Christ should be bringing His light and aroma into every sphere we enter.
Andrew Murray wrote,
Believers are the revelation of Christ on earth… We are His representatives, His revelation to the world that Christ loves us with an infinite love that gives itself and all it has.
One way we reveal Jesus’s love for us is by loving the hurting people around us. What would happen if the world saw us addressing the issues with the love of Christ? What if we quit arguing denominational differences and started working shoulder to shoulder on the problems at hand?
What would happen if I turned off Netflix, denied the paralysis of analysis, and just started clearing the rubble that lay at my feet?
You want to join me and we can find out together?