Nehemiah was a good man and a great leader. (Re Verse assignment for this week is Nehemiah 2 and 5) Part of his effectiveness was his passion. He reminds me of King David–highs and lows, emotionally honest always. In chapter 1 Nehemiah is SAD. In chapter 5 he is ANGRY. Rather than “stuffing” or denying these emotions, He presents himself to the Lord in prayer. Prayer is his way to process emotions and focus them into obedience. He becomes a guided missile. One of the best leaders I ever knew had strong emotions. He could be angry, he could be kind. What made him remarkable was his steady commitment to harnass his emotions before the Lord, to give Christ control of all feelings. I wonder, today, whether I hide my emotions rather than admit them to Christ and submit them to Christ. More to follow this week. What I know today is that Nehemiah was a passionate and effective man.
