Nehemiah 2: 17 says; “Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.” The first step for getting a project of any kind done is investigation – you have to have a plan for it. The second step is motivation. You must announce it and also talk about it with others that’s going to be involved. That is true whether you are a pastor, political leader, CEO of a major corporation or a parent or grandparent. There is a time when you have to let it be known (announce) what you believe that God is leading you to do. Nehemiah handled this situation masterfully, He cast his God – given vision in a way that caused the people to want to respond.
There are three things or ingredients of an announcement that will capture people’s imagination and make them want to join in a project.
First of all, the announcement has to motivate people and it has to show a basic grasp of what the true situation really is. In verse 17 Nehemiah told them they had a bad situation and it was time to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that they would no longer be a reproach. In this case reproach could mean disgrace or discredit. He gave them an honest assessment of the situation and told them the city was desolate and the wall was in shambles. You see, he understood the principle of a visual time out. A visual time out is this. Let’s say one day you notice a big crack beginning or has formed in one of your walls in your living room and you ask yourself the question, “What is wrong with my house? Is the foundation shifting or is it about to fall down?” Then for whatever reason you postpone doing anything about the crack and it begins to get a little bigger over time but you rarely notice it. Then after about a year a friend comes by and the first things he or she sees it and ask you this: “What is wrong with you? Why are you letting this go like this?” And then you say, “Well, it’s always been like that. That’s exactly what happened in Jerusalem. The wall had been down for a hundred years and the people had gotten use to a city without walls.
The people probably looked at it and said, “If God really cared He would rebuild the wall Himself.” What Nehemiah was saying was “this thing is a mess and I cannot believe you have allowed this to remain unbuilt for a hundred years. The Jews in Jerusalem had tuned out the problem, but Nehemiah was a fresh set of eyes looking at the problem. He understood the need to give an insightful catalog of the problems in the city.
Second the announcement was inclusive. Nehemiah did not say to them “Your city is a mess. Your walls are broken down and you need to get to work and do something about it.” Instead he said, “this city belongs to us and we got to do something about it. Let’s rebuild it” He realized that he would not be able to inspire or motivate the people to work hard or to give sacrificially to rebuild the wall unless he was involved as well. He said, “We are going to do this together.”
So you see, before people get involved in what God is leading you to do, they have to know that you are investing your time in the project as well. Your announcement has to be inclusive. So I encourage you to cast your vision and be motivated as well and you will have the help for whatever project God is leading you to do.