PERSEVERE TOGETHER
Jenna Worsham
Today’s Scripture: “I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.” Nehemiah 5:16, ESV
Theme: Work diligently alongside those you lead because of your integrity and love for God, not in pursuit of affluence or respect.
VOLUNTEERING
When our kids came of age to begin serving, we encouraged them to start by signing up to serve in their areas of interest. I served in the kindergarten class with my sixth grader as soon as we returned to church after COVID because that was the age where she felt most comfortable. I led, she assisted. She grew in confidence and ability that first year. She decided she was ready to find her own space and moved over to preschool. I stayed serving but she served more. Under the mentoring and leadership of other capable volunteers, she has become a regular in the preschool hallway.
Last year when my second daughter started sixth grade, she also joined the team. Their dad serves on the safety team at a Cove Kids door, I jump around from babies to grade school as needed, while the girls both serve with the toddlers. We work diligently. We bring a team. It’s not for credit; it’s for God, and we do it together. We have served at Feed NC, we served in Puerto Rico, and it’s not just at church! We can work alongside each other at home, too.
HOUSEHOLD CHORES
Everyone at our house has jobs. It’s not always easy to motivate everyone to complete those jobs when they need to be done. However, some community jobs are easier to complete because we do them together. One such job is loading all of the dishes into the dishwasher after dinner. We all do the job at the same time. No one is exempt (not even dad or mom). If you eat (and we do like to eat!), you clean up after yourself. It’s humbling to be reminded to load your dish, and yet I have found that telling my kids “It’s an everyone job” and then laughing about needing a reminder has helped us all find common ground around the sink. Another job that tends to be readily embraced is picking up sticks and yard waste to make a bonfire. It’s not a very fun chore until it’s time to start the fire, roast the hotdogs and marshmallows, and sit around a campfire.
AFFLUENCE AND RESPECT
We are often motivated by money and power. I wish it wasn’t true, but it is. Why did Nehemiah diligently work on the wall while acquiring no land and bringing the full strength of all his servants to do this thankless job? Nehemiah 5:15 ends with the phrase Nehemiah used to describe his reasoning “...because of the fear of God.” Nehemiah could have commanded others to do the manual labor required. He could have paid people to build in his place. Instead, he wasn’t “too good” or proud to do the work that needed to be done. He led by example with the righteous motivation of pleasing God, not making money, acquiring land, or looking important. I want to do the same.
Make It Personal: Do you know why we have events like the “Feed My Starving Children” one held recently? Because they allow us to work side by side for a greater purpose. We are working together, not to earn money, not to become more famous, but to feed and care for the poor. God doesn’t incentivize us to serve. We serve God because 1) it is what He has asked us to do, 2) we want to show love, and 3) we want those under our influence to do the same.
Pray: Jesus, thanks for leading us by Your example. You did so many human jobs: fishing, cooking, carpentry, to name a few. You walked great distances. You experienced the same inconveniences I do (and many more) when You walked the earth. I am thankful that You served alongside and formed a team with regular people. If You can do that, I know You can help me to humble myself when I’m tempted to serve for the wrong reasons or to select the best jobs for myself rather than working alongside my team. Please give me wisdom, perseverance, and strength for the tasks ahead. In Your holy Name we pray, Amen.
Read: Nehemiah 5:14-19; Proverbs 20:7
Weekly Memory Verse:
“Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.’” Zechariah 4:6, ESV