Nehemiah: Becoming a Godly Leader: Characteristics of Godly Leaders (Neh 1)
Characteristics of Godly Leaders
The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven…
Nehemiah 1
What are characteristics of godly leaders?
Second Timothy 3:17 says that Scripture is given to equip the man of God for “all righteousness.” All righteousness includes things like marriage, being a good employee, and even being a great leader. The Bible is full of stories about leadership but none may be as instructive as the book of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah, who was a cupbearer for the king of Persia, gained favor with the king to leave his post and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He inspired the Israelites to rebuild the walls and also to restore the worship of God. He was a tremendous leader.
The story behind the rebuilding of the walls is that Israel had rebelled against God during the times of the kings, and God judged them by exiling them to Babylon for over 140 years (586 BC-445 BC). After seventy years in exile, bands of Israelites started to return to Israel. In fact, there were three returns. The first was led by Zerubbabel—a descendant of David who rebuilt the temple in Israel. The second was led by Ezra—the priest who brought an initial spiritual revival in Israel. The third return was led by Nehemiah, as told here.
Nehemiah began to rebuild both the walls and the spiritual lives of the people, as he became their governor. As we look at Nehemiah, we will learn a lot about godly leadership.
I say godly leadership because godly leaders have character and they commonly tackle God-sized problems. This work was beyond Nehemiah’s power, and it virtually seemed impossible to complete.
God’s leaders are always confronting impossible problems. Moses had to set Israel free from the slavery of Egypt; he had to cross the Red Sea with the angry Egyptians following right behind him. Here in this text, Nehemiah was over 800 miles away from the problem.[i] Israel was in ruins, and the people were being harassed by their neighbors. He had an impossible problem. However, he did not only confront it but also was successful.
God wants to develop leaders today in his church to help rebuild nations, churches, families, and individuals who have fallen away from God or never known him. In ancient societies, walls were very important because they protected the people from the attack of looters and other enemies.
In the same way, for many Christians, their walls have been broken down by allowing sin to infiltrate them both individually and corporately. Many churches and Christian organizations have been affected by doctrinal liberalism. Many young Christians have started to look and walk like the world. There is a need to rebuild the walls in order to protect God’s people.
This is what Galatians says about a brother in sin: “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
Godly leadership brings one in contact with the sinful and the broken in order to help rebuild, but it also exposes one’s life to dangers and temptations. We see this with Nehemiah as he was confronted by many detractors because he sought to help Israel. In this text, we will see many characteristics of godly leadership.
Big Question: What characteristics of godly leadership do we find in chapter 1?
Godly Leaders Are Concerned and Responsive to Problems
Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 1:2-4
Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king; he tasted the king’s food and lived in the king’s palace. Even though the position doesn’t sound very impressive, it was. One scholar said that the cupbearer "was often chosen for his personal beauty and attractions, and in ancient oriental courts was always a person of rank and importance. From the confidential nature of his duties and his frequent access to the royal presence, he possessed great influence."[ii]
Certainly, this was an easy position for a person to be unconcerned about the situation in Israel. Nehemiah was completely taken care of.
He first shows his concern by asking questions of Hanani, his brother, who had just come from Judah. Godly leaders are concerned and informed. However, it is one thing to be concerned and to gather information, and it’s another thing to be responsive. He immediately wept and began to pray for the nation.
His response was very similar to that of Christ when he saw the large crowds in Matthew 9. This is what Matthew said:
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 9:36-38
Christ was concerned about the needs of the people and so was Nehemiah. They both responded in prayer.
Application Question: Why is it so easy to not be concerned about the spiritual temperature of others or the problems of others?
There are many reasons:
People are unconcerned sometimes simply because of apathy. It is easy to care only about ourselves and not about others, especially when the problem doesn’t affect us.
People are unconcerned sometimes because they feel like they cannot help. The problem is too big. We say to ourselves we cannot do anything about it.
People are unconcerned sometimes because they fear responsibility. The more we know; the more we are responsible for. Solomon said with knowledge comes more pain (Ecc 1:18).
People are unconcerned sometimes because they are too busy with other things.
People are unconcerned sometimes because they suffer from the “bystander effect.” This means we say to ourselves that somebody else will take care of it.
Nehemiah was wealthy and living in the house of the king of Persia. He had many reasons to not care about or get involved with the problems in Israel. Yet, when his brother came back from Israel, he asked how things were going there because he cared. But not only did he care enough to ask questions, he also cared enough to get involved.
The Danger of Knowing but Not Responding
Even worse than the uninformed are those who know but are not willing to get involved and serve. Let me tell you the story about a man whom God judged for not responding to his knowledge. His name is Eli. Look at what 1 Samuel 3:11-13 says:
And the LORD said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them.
See, Eli knew about his sons’ sins. They were sleeping with the women who came to the temple and not properly leading Israel into worship. For that reason God judged him. He knew, but he failed to restrain them. What areas are we neglecting? Is it family? Is it problems in the church or work? Is it our devotional lives? Is it our private thought patterns that are ungodly?
Ignorance is not always bliss. God cares about our homes, our churches, and our friends. And, we are responsible to minister to them as well. He cares about every area of leadership he gives us. Romans 13:1b says, “for there is no authority except that which God has established.” Therefore, whatever area of influence God has given us, he requires us to be good stewards in it.
Listen to what God told Ezekiel about his knowledge and his responsibility to it:
When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
Ezekiel 3:18
Essentially, he says, “Ezekiel, if I tell you to warn and you do not, I will hold their blood on your hands.” God told Ezekiel that he was responsible.
Godly leaders are concerned, and they are willing to get involved. They are not apathetic as so much of the church is. They are not too busy, and they do not say, “Somebody else will do it.” Nehemiah was willing to ask questions and get involved.
In what ways is God calling you to get involved? Maybe he is calling you to serve by responding to a need in your church with the children’s ministry or to develop a ministry to reach the college students. He may be calling you to get involved in your community with a project. Maybe, the first step he would have you take is simply asking a question so you can become more informed.
Application Questions: For what area(s) is God burdening your heart? How can you take steps in order to be more informed and ready to serve?
Godly Leaders Are Constant in Prayer
Then I said: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.
Nehemiah 1:5-6
What do we see next? Certainly, we can’t miss the fact that Nehemiah began to pray for Israel.
Nehemiah faced a big problem, one that seemed impossible to fix. His nation had been in reproach for over 140 years, and he was 800 miles away from the problem. However, even though the problem seemed impossible to fix, he immediately brought it to God. Listen to his prayer: “Then I said: ‘O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments’” (Nehemiah 1:5).
What problems are you facing that are too big and overwhelming? Are there any problems that you have not yet brought to God? We all face problems that seem unsolvable like trafficking, abortion, corruption in the government, sin in the church, sin in our own lives, etc. We might be tempted to look at the problem and not even bring it to God.
Nehemiah responds to this impossible problem by praying and fasting night and day (Neh 1:4). He constantly brings the situation to God. This is a characteristic of a godly leader.
One of the things that Scripture commonly does is let us in on the prayer life of those God used greatly. Moses was constantly praying for Israel, asking God to remove his wrath from them (Exodus 32:10-14). Daniel is shown as a man who prays three times a day (Daniel 6:10): morning, noon, and night. When the king’s wise men wanted to bring a charge against him, they knew to trap him during his prayer time.
God also has chosen to show us Christ’s prayer life in Scripture. He was always sneaking away to meet with God (Mark 1:35). He went to the mountain to pray alone, and his disciples got up in the morning to look for him.
Godly leaders are prayer warriors who constantly bring their seemingly impossible problems to the Lord. They pray to the Lord about their superiors, those they lead, and their families. They are a blessing to whatever community they serve because of their commitment to prayer. Consider what Paul commanded in 1 Timothy 2:1-3:
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.
Paul calls for us to pray for “everyone” with all kinds of prayers. This type of lifestyle pleases God.
Similarly, Nehemiah was constant in prayer, even for people who were far away from him. He heard about the problems in Israel and interceded, and, no doubt, God was pleased.
Application Question: What are the benefits of bringing such big problems first to God?
A benefit of bringing our problems first to God is that it makes us wait. Sometimes we are prone to act too quickly, but it is almost always best to first spend time in prayer.
A benefit of bringing our problems first to God is that it gives us a proper perspective. Praying first puts things in perspective as problems get smaller in view of the “great and awesome God” (v.5). I believe that is why the Lord’s Prayer starts with God and his kingdom before it gets to our request—“give us our daily bread.”
A benefit of bringing our problems first to God is that it brings the resources of God into our situation: his wisdom, his power, his comfort, etc.
A benefit of bringing our problems first to God is that it quiets our hearts. Philippians 4:6-7 promises the peace of God to those who pray and give thanks in everything.
A benefit of bringing our problems first to God is that it activates our faith. Prayer is an act of trusting in God, and therefore, it allows us to trust God more in the situation. It helps our belief.
Application Question: What situation or person is God calling you to intercede for as Nehemiah did?
Godly Leaders Can Identify with Others’ Failures
let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you.
Nehemiah 1:6
What other characteristics of a godly leader can we see as we look at Nehemiah’s prayer?
Nehemiah’s considering himself a sinner just like the rest of the nation of Israel should stand out in verse 6. He says, “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you.”
Many leaders only see other people’s failures and never see their own, which affects how they minister to and lead others. This is what we saw with the leadership style of the Pharisees. One Pharisee cried out, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get” (Lk 18:11-12). The Pharisee could not see his own sin, and therefore, could never minister to not only the tax collector, but also the robber, the evil doer, and the adulterer. For this reason, these leaders often become very judgmental and self-righteous, especially in the area of discipline. However, godly leaders can identify sin in their own lives, and it helps them deal with others graciously even in discipline.
A godly leader can say, “I have lusted,” “I have hated,” “I have lied.” “I have at times struggled with pride, apathy, and lack of self-discipline.” “The same root that causes murder, rape, bribery, and other injustices are all in me.” This kind of leader can minister to people because he sees his own sin and can empathize.
Interpretation Question: How do we see this trait of identifying with others’ sins in other ministers throughout Scripture?
Ina sense, we see this with Christ. He became a man for this very purpose. He may not have sinned, but he was tempted and felt the weakness of man so he could relate to us. Hebrews 4:15-16 says this:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Do we not see this in other great leaders? Paul called himself the chief of sinners (1 Tim 1:15), the least of all God’s people (Eph 3:8), and the least of the apostles (1 Cor 15:9). He also said in Romans 7 that the things he would do, he did not do, and things he would not do, he did; “who will rescue me from this body of death?” (v. 24). That passage alone makes it easier to read and digest Paul’s writings because it says that he can understand and relate to us.
We saw this in the prophet Isaiah. He was a man who had struggles, and yet he was called to lead and minister to others. Hear his response to God. Isaiah 6:5 says, “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
Peter, the leader of the apostles, said to Christ at his calling, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Lk 5:8). Peter had a strong awareness of his sin, just as Nehemiah did, which made him a more than suitable candidate for ministry. He would be able to identify with those he was seeking to save.
Christ taught this awareness of sin was needed to do any type of effective ministry. In Matthew 7:1-5, he taught that in order to pluck the speck out of somebody else’s eye, we must first take the log out of our own eye. In order to minister to people and help them be free from sin, we must be aware of our sin and constantly repenting of it. A person who is unaware of his great sinfulness will only harm people in ministry. The Pharisees harmed people and put yokes on their necks that they themselves could not bear. A godly leader has a strong awareness of his own sin, and it enables him to empathize with his flock and better minister to them.
Application Question: How can we develop a greater sense of our own sin so we can better identify with the sins and failings of others?
We must develop a greater awareness of God by spending more time with him. Isaiah saw God which clearly revealed his sins and the sin of others (Isaiah 6:1-5).
We must expose ourselves to the Word of God more. James compared studying the Word of God to a mirror which shows our faults so we can correct them. He said:
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:23-25
We must develop healthy accountability relationships with people who will challenge us when we are in sin.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another man’s countenance.” We must have relationships that challenge and sharpen us. Certainly, we see this with David while he was living in unrepentant sin with Bathsheba. It was the prophet Nathan who confronted his sin and helped bring him to repentance. We need these types of relationships to help us stay humble and aware of our sin.
A lack of time with God through prayer, a lack of time in the Word, and a lack of accountability relationships will create prideful and self-righteous leaders who do not understand the people they are leading. Godly leaders have the ability to identify with their people even in their failures.
Application Questions: Why is it important for a leader to be able to see his own sin and identify with the failings of others? Give examples or experiences which demonstrate its importance.
Godly Leaders Are Motivated and Strengthened by the Promises of God
Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.
Nehemiah 1:8-9
Observation Question: What characteristics of a godly leader can we discern from verses 8 and 9?
Nehemiah quotes from Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 30 which says that God would scatter Israel if they were unfaithful and that he would restore the nation from their exile if they returned to him. Essentially, Nehemiah was saying, “God, I believe you will restore us because your Word says so.” Look at Deuteronomy 30:1-3:
When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.
Nehemiah was both motivated and strengthened by the promises of God. These promises, no doubt, gave him the encouragement and confidence to eventually become the leader of Israel. If they returned to God, Scripture promised that God would bless the nation.
In fact, we see this same faith in many leaders in the Bible. Listen to what Paul said about Abraham in Romans:
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Romans 4:20-21
When God told Abraham he was going to have a child at a hundred years old, he was strengthened by the promise of God. In the same way, godly leaders find encouragement to pray, to act, and to persevere because of the promises of God.
Remember what Paul told Timothy: “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 1:18).
Timothy was to fight based on the prophecies or promises given from God. Godly leaders know the promises of God and fight based on them. God has given us many promises to hold onto in Scripture.
Application Question: What are some promises God has given us in Scripture in order to strengthen and motivate us, especially while serving in roles of leadership?
Look at some of these:
Galatians 6:9 says this: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” God promises that in our labor for good we will reap a harvest if we remain faithful.
Matthew 5:10-12 says this:
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
God promises heavenly reward when we are persecuted for righteousness sake.
Matthew 5:6 says this: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” God promises that if we really hunger to be used by God and to be a blessing to others, we will be filled with that righteousness. The question only is whether we really hunger for it.
Godly leaders are strengthened and many times motivated by the promises of God. They take hope from them, no matter the discouragements that come their way.
Application Question: In what ways have you found encouragement in the promises of God while facing a trial or an opportunity to lead? What specific Scriptures or promises of God have you found most helpful in your spiritual life?
Godly Leaders Are Assertive
O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. I was cupbearer to the king.
Nehemiah 1:11
Nehemiah did not just pray. He volunteered. Listen to what he said in v. 11: “Give your servant success.” Leaders not only pray but they are willing to volunteer. After praying for his nation for some extended amount of time, he asked God for favor with the king in order to be used in the restoration of Israel.
What do you feel God is calling you to volunteer for? How do you feel he wants you to step up and meet the needs of others?
One of the greatest problems with leadership is apathy. We often don’t care enough about a problem or a situation. When a person is truly passionate, assertiveness is a normal response. When you are invested in something, it is normal to be assertive.
Application Question: How do we develop this assertiveness that Nehemiah had in his leadership?
One thing that must jump out to us in this scenario is how this petition to be successful (to be used) came at the end of a prayer and intimacy with God.
Intimacy Precedes Service
It is interesting to see that intimacy often precedes a willing heart and sometimes even a call from God. We see this with Isaiah. Look again at his story in Isaiah 6:5-8.
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah was praying, confessing his sin before God, and spending time in God’s presence which led to his volunteering for his future ministry as a prophet to Israel. It began first with prayer and time with God; then it led to volunteering. Intimacy with God preceded service.
Similarly, in Matthew 9:39, Christ called the disciples to pray for laborers to go into the harvest, and, in Matthew 10 he sent them out into the fields to minister. Often prayer and intimacy come right before a willing heart and a call to serve.
What has God given you a heart to pray for? Nehemiah prayed for Israel and then was called. Similarly, Isaiah prayed for his nation, confessing their sins, and God called him to be part of the solution. The disciples prayed for the harvest and then were sent into the field.
Godly leaders are assertive. They want to get involved.
Application Question: In what ways have you experienced intimacy with God leading to a call or assertiveness as a leader?
Godly Leaders Learn to Wait on God
The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa… In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before.
Nehemiah 1:1; Nehemiah 2:1
Interpretation Question: What can we learn about godly leadership from the fact that Nehemiah started praying in December (Kislev; 1:1) but approached the king about Israel in April (Nisan; 2:1)?
Godly leaders are patient in waiting on God. It is clear from the text that Nehemiah heard about the problem around November-December (Kislev) and nothing happened until March-April (Nisan).[iii] He waited and prayed for four months to be used before God provided an opportunity to talk to the king.
It is very possible to get in front of God. I almost wonder if that is what happened with Joseph as he shared his dream to his dad and brothers about them bowing down before him (Gen 37). It was not his time, and it only made his jealous brothers even angrier with him. Consequently, though the vision was true, he suffered for his unwise sharing.
Interpretation Question: What other godly leaders in the Scripture had to wait on God to be used?
Abraham had to wait on God. It was twenty-five years before he received the son God promised. In addition, he had to wait hundreds of years before his people inherited the promised land (Gen 15:13). And it further took 2,000 years before the promised “seed” which blessed all nations came.
Moses had to wait to be used by God. He acted hastily in the court of Egypt and killed an Egyptian who was fighting an Israelite (Acts 7:24-26). He then went into the wilderness for forty years as a shepherd before God called him to lead Israel (Acts 7:30).
Joseph had to wait to be used. He had a vision, and then waited many years as a slave and a prisoner before God fulfilled the vision.
David had to wait on God to become king. He went from being a shepherd to a general, but soon after, he was hunted by Saul the king of Israel. It took years before the promise was fulfilled.
Paul had to wait. Many scholars believe it was around fourteen years after he received his initial call that he was sent to the Gentiles with Barnabas in Acts 13 (cf. Gal 2:1).
In the same way, godly leaders must learn to patiently wait on the Lord. In our societies leaders are known for initiative, but biblical leaders are also identified by waiting. There is a season to plow and a season to harvest.
Nehemiah waited some four months before God opened an opportunity. For many of us “A-type” personalities, the waiting seasons are the worst seasons. However, Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” It is when we wait on God and stop our striving that he reveals himself.
Many of us have to learn to wait on God. Some of us may be waiting for a vision for what is next, waiting for a godly spouse, waiting to be delivered from a difficult trial. Yes, there is a time to be active, but there is also a time to wait, and we must discern the times. A flower dies if it blooms in winter.
Certainly, we can see that though Nehemiah waited, he was not inactive. He spent day and night in prayer for those four months (Neh 1:6).
This is the normal process for somebody who God is preparing to lead. He sends them into a waiting season, and in this waiting season, he prepares them for greater leadership. Even Christ waited for some thirty years and then forty days in the wilderness before he began his ministry. We should be prepared for this as well. We must learn to wait on God.
Application Question: In what ways has God been teaching you to wait on him? What makes this a difficult lesson to learn?
Conclusion
What are characteristics of a godly leader?
Here, we see Nehemiah who will confront a problem that has been going on for over 140 years. It, no doubt, seemed impossible, but nevertheless, he sought the Lord who would soon begin to open doors to serve Israel.
What impossible situation is God calling you to pray about and get involved in? What burdens has he given you?
Godly leaders are concerned and responsive to problems.
Godly leaders are constant in prayer.
Godly leaders can identify with the failures of others.
Godly leaders are strengthened by the promises of God.
Godly leaders are assertive.
Godly leaders learn to wait on God.
Note from the Author:
Nehemiah: Becoming a Godly Leader is available as a pre-order. If interested, click here. If you would like a free copy (PDF or Kindle) in exchange for an honest Amazon review, email me at thebibleteachersguide@gmail.com.
[i] Guzik, D. (n.d.). Nehemiah Overview - David Guzik Commentary on the Bible. Retrieved January 11, 2015, from http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/guz/view.cgi?bk=15&ch=1
[ii] Swindoll, Charles (1998-12-03). Hand Me Another Brick (p. 9). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
[iii] Getz, Gene (1995-06-22). Men of Character: Nehemiah (Kindle Locations 472-473). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
