Nehemiah’s Business Plan

What is a Nehemiah’s Business Plan? How does it work in the real world? The following information was given to me as I was studying the book of Nehemiah in the Bible. When I was getting ready to launch these websites “Outhouse Ministries” and “Cultural Architects”, I knew it was to be a bridge from the religious structures we were raised in to operating in the world with Kingdom principles. This is what Jesus was, a bridge that crossed the religious teaching to the real world. I am believing we can build a bridge to bring Christian’s principle is our modern workplace without being religious. Jesus wasn’t religious, but He released God’s Kingdom everywhere He went.

The focus of this plan is:

• How to release vision to your people.
• How you face opposition personally.
• How you face opposition on a project.
• How you protect the project.
• How you protect your people and help them face their problems.
• How you motivate people with right assignments for the project.
• How to set up authority structures for function.
• How to address unfairness and unify the people.
• How to lead by example.

As you study these principles, you will see that they can be applied to personal goals, families, churches, and workplaces. It is time to get out of our boxes and move beyond the limitations of what we know. The Kingdom of God is the yeast. Once we plant the seeds, God will cause it to grow. We need to stay focused on His Kingdom and not the voices of the world around us. Come let us build together and bring His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Read the book of Nehemiah as you review the table below. The table contains practical examples and steps on how to walk out the book of Nehemiah. It will change the atmosphere of your company, group, or project.

Nehemiah’s Business Plan

Vision	Problem Areas	Action	Results	References
He saw a need and had a heart to protect Jerusalem.	Walls and gates removed	Prayer, fasting, repentance, submission, and request for success	Wisdom to approach the authority	Neh. 1: all
He understood the need to approach and honor authority.	He could have been removed from his position because the cup bearer was never to express their opinion.	He came humbly and truthfully.	This released the supplies needed for the project.	Neh. 1:11; 2:1-10
Rebuild the wall to protect the people	Required favor and provision. Note: Nehemiah was seen by the authority as a hard worker who did a good job.	He pushed beyond his fear; set a timeline; requested leave, got letters of authorization, and asked for provision.	Received all he requested including all the responsibility with the authority to build the walls	Neh. 2:1-10
Hands on inspection of problems with trusted few and kept goals under wrap (by night).	Gates and walls torn down with left over rubble	He had a meeting with Jews, priest, nobles and officials and others. He presented the problems. Set goals and gave God credit. Revealed authorization of authority.	People agreed to do the work.	Neh. 2:11-16 Neh. 2:17-18
Face Opposition	Verbal attacks and accusation on a personal level	Confronted opposition with truth and informed them they were fighting God not just people. Set boundaries that opposition has no part in this rebuilding.	Everyone went to work	Neh. 2:19-20 Neh. 3:1
How to rebuild	Different sections affected different people	Each group of people working, including most nobles, priest and officials worked together to fix the wall and gate that affected them.	Unity with one purpose and goals that affected everyone in the city	Neh. 3: all
Face Opposition	Verbal attacks trying to gain others to fight against project	Prayed and turned them over to God because this was a God project. They continued to work.	The project was halfway completed	Neh. 4:1-3; Neh. 4:4-5; Neh. 4:6
Face United Opposition	Opposition came to confront and attack them physically.	Prayed and posted guards	The people kept working because they knew they were protected	Neh. 4:7-8 Neh. 4:9
Safe work environment to complete wall	Dealing with worker’s fear and frustration. Things like rubble from the former wall could provide cover for the opposition to attack.	Setup protection in exposed places and providing workers with personal protection. He met with people to address problems and reinstating goals and remind them that God for this project. He broke words of opposition by breaking fear, providing protection, and showing they weren’t alone. Setup a notification system to alert if there is a breach and where to go to battle.	Half the men protected while the other half worked. The workers carried person protection. Work continued.	Neh. 4:10-12 Neh. 4:13-14 Neh. 4:15-23
Deal with injustice	People taking advantage of those who are in trouble. Unfair practices that keep people in the cycle of need and debt.	Don’t react in anger. Think through the problem and get God’s viewpoint. Don’t let poor or rich dictate how you react. Called a meeting with everyone so no one can twist what was said. Confront those in charge with the facts of what they were doing. Provided a solution by returning what was taken. Set the rules to follow with repercussions for the leadership if they don’t comply. Self-sacrifice or skin in the game from leadership provides an example to others. Open door policy by providing gatherings with all parties out of one’s own provision.	Justice was done, open communication, all people treated with respect and order restored.	Neh. 5:1-4 Neh. 5:5-13 Neh. 5:14-16 Neh. 5:17-19
Finish the work and stay focused	Opposition invitation to meet which was a distraction from goals. What was oppositions reason or true strategy for meeting?	Found out reals reason for meeting was not to help build the wall but to delay the progress. Reply to opposition. Confront lies and fears. Prayer for strength to complete goal.	Work continued	Neh. 6:1-7 Neh. 6:8-9
Finish the work and stay focused on timeline	Opposition uses fear of personal lost to isolate leadership.	Confront fear. Discern intent of the messenger. Prayed for God to take care of the problem.	Work was completed on time.	Neh. 6:10-14 Neh. 6:15
Keeping the opposition on the outside	People indebted to opposition, who was trying to influence leader.	Assigned gatekeepers and trusted co-workers in charge to guard against opposition from getting a foothold.	Started to remove opposition within the walls and closed access to those who are influenced by opposition.	Neh. 6:16-19 Neh. 7: all
Reinforcing accomplishments and keeping focused on reason for work.	People not having an identity of who God created them to be. Not understanding why, they had to be different than those around them.	Read the standards making it clear and understandable. Reinforcing the importance of all people and their part in the project.	Clear understanding of who they are and what was accomplish. Celebrated who they are and what they accomplished.	Neh. 8: all
Remove compromise and access for the opposition to get a foothold.	Intentional and unintentional wrong mindsets that cause confusion of purpose and function.	Repentance and confession of sin. Reflection on personal action and the ramifications of that action.	A binding agreement or mission statement that all agree on which creates unity or purpose.	Neh. 9 & 10
Setting up leadership for next phase of development	Who needs to be placed where? Provision for function.	Each person had their own assignment, responsibility, and investment.	Order, purpose, and clear vision.	Neh. 11 & 12
Revisiting the project	Opposition gained a foothold through a leader which resulted in problems.	Examined the problems. Confronted the leaders.	Order restored, purpose and vision reinstated.	Neh. 13

Accomplishing these Principles in the Workplace

Now that your homework is done, how do you accomplish these principles in the workplace? You don’t have to be a boss to change the atmosphere of a company. You and Jesus are a majority!

I was working for the State of Pennsylvania as a clerk typist II, which is the low man on the corporate ladder. After about six months of learning how and what the mission was of my department, my problem-solving skills kicked in. We had five different groups in our department. Each group was always playing the blame game instead of cooperating with each other. Between the clerks, compliance, engineers, and on-the-ground people was a gap that was feed by what I call, “me and my four” attitude. The clerks I worked with would not train you on their job and would go out of the way to make my job harder.

I went to God and had Him adjust my attitude of resentment. You can’t see the solution if you are looking through glasses of anger, resentment, or judgment. I call this the “Change My Buttons Lord” prayer. Walking in God’s love for people is the only way they will change.

Next, I started noting what were the main things separating the department. This would be the why the wall couldn’t be built. Then I started taking simple steps to unite people instead of dividing people. I would stop gossip and cutting remarks about others by not responding to their comments. We started celebrating birthdays. This was not as easy as you would think. Some people were mad about this, but God will give you ways of calming the ruffled feathers. We made Christmas parties fun by exchanging worst-gifts-every present. I would tell stories and invite others to tell stories.

I got to know each person and what their main complaint was. I would listen and help in little ways or if I couldn’t solve the problem, I would talk to someone that could in a way that would pique their interest, so they would want to solve the problem. Because I spend time with people and got to know them, I could explain why a person acted that way to another person who was frustrated with them. Slowly things changed, and we started working as a group. More work was being done and things were not slipping through the cracks. The two clerks who had the old mindset of we are not helping, retired which help remove the hindrances of us becoming a functioning work family.

Not only did this change our department but because I had worked with all the departments, I had insight to processing application that even the home office recognized. One of the main office computer programmers was wanting to change a process that was against our regulations. He fought against me trying to put me in my place, since I was only a clerk typist II. He emailed his correction to me to all the head guys in our corporation office. I calmly emailed the direct quote from the regulations. I explained why his process was wrong in a respectful but unwavering way. The head guy emailed everyone that Ruth was right! Later I found out my boss was mad about this guy doing that to me, but God had my back.

These principles work! We ended up with a great department that accomplished the mission it was assigned.

Steps to Take Your Territory

• Go in with an attitude of learning the job or whole landscape of the department.
• Don’t assume you know what to do. Ask God to remove any attitude and views that you have and ask to see everything the way He see the office. I call this putting on your “Kingdom Glasses”.
• Get the big picture and not just what your job is. Find out the mission then you will see what is stopping you from accomplishing it.
• People will resist change even good change. It is just part of getting people out of their ruts.
• Spend time getting to know people, not to manipulate them, but because you care about them.
• Slow and steady steps to changing people’s minds. Example: One guy didn’t like the birthday signs on the door but was okay with the birthday card.
• People get involved when they feel they have a voice that counts. You starve the complaining and feed the problem-solving ideas. This allows their gifts to be recognized and causes them to be part of the team. People have a voice is like Nehemiah’s people building their wall in front of their home.
• Help people in small ways to make their job easier. Don’t do their job. I made that mistake and ended up with a lot of responsibility without the pay. God said it this way: “Don’t plow in another man’s field and expect them to share their crop!” As a good Christian, I thought I always had to go the extra mile, but I learned, that doesn’t mean I carry that person on my back.
• Protect people by seeing the good and helping others understand each other without divulging confidences. You can do this by saying things like, “I think this is what they meant.” or “He has a good heart but trips over his words sometimes.”

The fruit of taking the time to walk out these steps is worth it. Lives were changed. Goals were met. People became friends. Other who were always fighting each other started extending grace instead of judgment. We became a family and work flowed better.

Prayer

Father God,

Thank You for where You have planted me. I know you said there would be giants in the promise land, but this is where multiplication of resources is available. I want to see through Your Kingdom Glass. Change my buttons and show me how to take my territory for Your Kingdom. I am willing to change. I need Your love which You placed in my heart to become stronger and greater than my anger and resentment. These mountains of human obstacles must become level ground. I ask for Your strategy to change this environment. Only You know how to change people.  Your word says every place I put my foot I can be blessed and be a blessing. I am partnering with You, Jesus. I can do all things through Jesus who give me strength through the Holy Spirit.

Amen!

Scriptural References

Matthew 13:13 NIV (yeast/leaven); Matthew 6:10 NIV (Kingdom come); Exodus 3:8; Luke 5:53-56; Romans 5:5; Zechariah 4:4-7 Amplified Bible; Deuteronomy 8:1-12; Proverbs 1:7.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Full Life Study Bible – New International Version, Copyright © 1992 by Life Publishers International.

Note: Scriptures are not in quotations but have been written by author in business language for training purposes.