Today I want to finish up our look at the Book of Nehemiah. This inspiring and challenging story of a true hero of the faith has much to teach us about change-making leadership.

In the first six chapters, there is a clear pattern of leadership for us: desperate need leads to compelling vision; compelling vision leads to inspired work; and inspired work reveals the glory of God.

Seeing the desperate needs around him drove Nehemiah to be a change-making leader. He cast a compelling vision that he was confident could not only address those needs, but draw people closer to God. Then he invested in the inspired work of his people, repeating the vision and challenging them to keep chasing it.

God loves to reveal His glory in the midst of the impossible.

But throughout that whole process, there has been one constant: the glory of God. That was the starting point and concluding result of Nehemiah’s plan. He was a great leader, not just because he could command an audience and cast a vision, but because he focused on God’s glory instead of his own.

What Will Be Revealed in the Face of Difficulty?
Change-making leadership must go through a trial. All of our work in the church, whether we’re planters and pioneers or veterans of ministry, must go through a process of exposure to difficulty to determine whether it will last. When you go through difficulty, what will be revealed? If we’re chasing our own glory, what we build won’t last. But if the trial reveals God’s glory, then it will be eternal.

There is nothing more difficult than the seemingly impossible. We all face difficult times, but there are a few rare moments in life when we stare down the impossible. Whether it’s a health concern, a drastic lack of resources, a moral failure among our staff or a tragedy that strikes close to home, the drastic need may neatly fit into the category of impossible.

That’s what Nehemiah saw. The burnt buildings and broken walls of Jerusalem were an impossible, insurmountable obstacle in front of them. But through courageous and dedicated work, look what happened: “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days” (Nehemiah ‪6:15).

The walls were rebuilt, and in record time! Was it all because of Nehemiah, his leadership and his relationship with the king? Or was there more to it? Those on the other side didn’t marvel at the man Nehemiah. They saw what was truly revealed.

“When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God” (Nehemiah ‪6:16).

What seems impossible was finished in record time, and the nations saw the glory of God. The only explanation they had was that God had done this and He should receive all the glory.

The Impossible Attracts God’s Glory
God loves to reveal His glory in the midst of the impossible. I think sometimes He seeks out impossible situations for His glory. In John 11, Jesus is told of His friend Lazarus’ deadly condition. His response to an impossible situation? “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4).

Through the Church Multiplication Network this year, we are believing for 500 new churches. And over the next 10 years, we want to see 10,000 more! So many would look at that challenge and call it impossible. But we know that God has called us to do it. We’ve seen the desperate needs in our cities across America. We’ve cast a compelling vision to accomplish it. And we’ve already seen some amazing inspired work.

But that’s not why we can accomplish the seemingly impossible. We’ve focused our energies on glorifying God through all we do. That’s our starting point, and it will be our end result. When we put aside our own desires for God’s glory, we will see the impossible realized. Why? Because the impossible attracts God’s glory.

Change-Making Leadership Requires Courage
Here’s the overarching leadership lesson we glean from Nehemiah: Your courage and obedience will reveal the glory of God. Change-making leaders are not scared of impossible scenarios. Why? Is it because they’re so great or confident or trained? No. It’s simply that they know God reveals His glory in the midst of the impossible.

What impossible situations do you have in your life and ministry? What goal have you laid out that others would call impossible? What vision have you cast that feels unlikely to be finished? If God has called you, then He wants to reveal His glory through it.

What God has called you to do will take extraordinary leadership and courage. God didn’t call you to hold down the fort. And He didn’t call your church to just go through the motions. He has so much more in store for you. From the lips of Jesus comes a challenge to move mountains and see the impossible come to pass (Matthew 17:20).

He called you to move mountains, give your life to doing the impossible and reveal His glory! He called you to make changes in your world in a way that will remove all doubt about who has accomplished this. He has called you to stand up and fight for a future that’s worth living, for you and your kids and your kids’ kids. And if you do it for His glory, He has promised to do the impossible through you.

See also Parts 1, 2 and 3 in this series.