Rewarding volunteers who willingly come to fight the battle

Rewarding volunteers who willingly come to fight the battle
S -
1 Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths remained in the other cities.2 And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
Neh 11:1-2 (NASB)



O - Here we find that the wall has been restored around Jerusalem, the exiles have come back from Bablyon, the Israelites, had praised God, repented of their sins and sins of their fathers, and rededicated themselves to God and his Law. Time to go back to normal though right. Well as it came down to it, and the celebration had ended and people naturally wanted to go back to their hometowns and settle back in. However, the battle was not really over was it, and Jerusalem was the center, the holy city, and the place that would be attacked again eventually. Here we see the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, much like Washington D.C. or a state capitol. However, that would not be enough would it, more people needed to be kept back to secure and operate the capitol city. But what we see here is that the people cast lots to decide who would live in Jerusalem, likely because they didn't have enough volunteers (though note, the people blessed those you volunteered. I think it is important to understand these people were not just lazy and didn't want to volunteer, it is likely that they recognized Jerusalem now that it had been restored, was a dangerous place to be, order was still being restored, enemies would be testing Jerusalem defenses and the people's resolve.

A - The application for me is very related to teams, and personally for me related to project teams in the shipyard. Project teams in the shipyard are cities of sorts that have a center. That center is populated with the key leadership on the project team. This is where the battles are fought outside the project and inside the project, in other words from both sides. What I often see is that some people are not interested in coming to the center and participating. They are much more comfortable in the suburbs, where little conflict and challenge occur. The lessons here is that there will be two types of people that are required to populate the center of your project team. Those which come because their lot has been cast, and those that come willingly as volunteers. As a leader I am to encourage all to come willingly to fight the battles worth fighting, and to reward and bless those that come as volunteers. I know I do appreciate those who come as volunteers but often times don't spend time rewarding and blessing them, and instead focus my energy dragging all the conscripts along. I must be sure to take care of those who come willingly.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your valuable lessons in life and leadership that you have been teaching me through Nehemiah. I pray Lord that you would continue to speak into my life and train and equip me to be the leader you have designed me to be. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.