5 Things To Remember When It’s Time To Rebuild

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he looked around at the broken down walls and burned down gates of the city. Then he called together the Jewish leaders and issued a call-to-action. It was time to rebuild!

“You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” – Nehemiah 2:17 NLT

Nehemiah’s TED talk worked. The people were inspired, encouraged, and ready to get busy. (2:18) There was opposition right from the start (2:19,) but they were on God’s mission, so success was in His hands. They just needed to get to work.

As I usually do when I dig into God’s Word, I noticed some practical principles we can apply in our own lives:

1 – Recognize the destruction and the areas that need to be rebuilt.

When we see brokenness around us, whether in our own lives, our families, our churches, or our communities, we need to take a long, hard look at the damage and acknowledge what needs to be fixed.

2 – Don’t do it alone. Enlist helpers.

God designed us to work together. We are the Body of Christ, each with our own gifts and talents to use for the Kingdom of God. Much more will be accomplished when we work together. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ…All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. – 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27 NLT

3 – Prepare for opposition.

The enemy of our souls does not want us to rebuild anything. His mission is to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) Brokenness and destruction are evidence of his success. When we rise up and roll out for God, the enemy will always try to get in the way.

4 – Trust God with the success of your mission.

When God has a plan, it will succeed. If our mission is covered in prayer and our team is empowered by the Spirit, nothing will be able to stop us.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. – Psalm 138:8 CSB

5 – Get started.

Every project, no matter how big, has a starting point. A house doesn’t get built without the first swing of a hammer. When God shows us it’s time to rebuild, the project must begin with one single act of obedience.

As Christ-followers, we must mobilize if we want to rebuild the walls and mend the gates in our world. We can’t hide in our homes or our church buildings while the walls and gates crumble around us. Jesus calls us the salt and the light of the world. We are supposed to impact it. Salt preserves and flavors. Light exposes and guides. Let’s take up our positions and get to work. It’s time to rebuild!

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