Life on the Wall

A few weeks ago God gave me some clarity and direction for this season of my life.  I found it so freeing and beautiful that I wanted to share it with you. 

I had been in prayer about a new responsibility I believed God was calling me to, and, at first, I could only think of it as an extra burden and another little slice of my time. 

But, I believed God had put it into my heart so I began praying and asking others for prayer. This verse from Nehemiah, I thought, was my answer to why I should not pursue this idea.

 “So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?’ “  (Nehemiah 6:3 NKJV)

But as I journaled on it, God worked through my pen to show me this was the very answer to why I should be moving on it.

Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem.  He was busy about the work that God had called him to.  But there were some men, from surrounding areas, who did not want this work to happen.  Rebuilding the wall was not in their best interest.  And as a result, they were doing all they could to distract Nehemiah from this “great work” he was doing. 

But Nehemiah knew the strategy of the enemy…and he refused to be distracted.  He would not come down from his “great work”. 

I know the "great work" The Lord has given me for this season is raising my children, the next generation; “encouraging them, comforting them and urging them to live lives worthy of God who calls them into His kingdom and glory” (1Thess 2:12), this is my wall.

Just like Nehemiah would not be distracted and come down from his “great work,” I cannot come down from mine. My kids, though older now, are still young and require a lot of time, care, and direction. But here is what God showed me as I journaled:

I picture Nehemiah up on the wall building and focused; not willing to set aside his tools and be distracted from the "great work" God had called him to.  But he invited others to help him in the work. I see him, going along the wall encouraging, comforting, loving, and reminding the people why and for Whom they are doing this "great work". All the while, he was always urging them to live lives worthy of the One who called them and to not be distracted by the enemy that wanted them to come down.

I believe that God answered my prayer through this picture of Nehemiah's devotion to the call of God. He was doing the "great work", but invited others up onto the wall with him and encouraged them in the "great work".

When it comes to serving, for the first time in my life I feel an amazing freedom in these guidelines (for lack of a better word) God has given me.

I always have this incredible desire to serve, and here God says to me, "SERVE, but do not come down off that wall to do it! Invite others up onto the wall with you. Invite other families into your home, into your life; love them, serve them, do life with them, urge them on toward Me!"

The best way I can serve and love on others is to invite them up on the wall with me.  It will sharpen me to have others on the wall with me and it will sharpen them as well.

“Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”  (1 Thessalonians 2:8 NIV)

When it comes to serving I can now ask myself some questions:  Is this something I have to come down from the wall to do?  Can I invite this person/this ministry to join me on the wall as I build? 

In this season of my life, as a homeschooling mother of four, I simply cannot stay up on that wall if I am meeting women for lunch multiple times throughout the week, or carving out hours to serve in every ministry that catches my eye.  So, I need to ask myself those questions.  

Just because something is good does not mean that it is part of the “great work” God has called me to.  The enemy is not above using a good work to prevent a great work. 

What is the “great work” God is calling you to?  

Maybe you’re missing the “great work” God is calling you to because you are looking through the eyes of man.  I wonder how many really thought Nehemiah’s “great work” was really all that great . . . he was building a wall.  What made it great was not WHAT he was doing but that God had called him to it.