‘I can’t change the world; but I can change the world in me.’ This is a line from an early U2 song, and it’s always stayed with me. As we concluded yesterday, what Nehemiah tackled 2,500 years ago is still just as prevalent today, only on a much bigger scale. The possibility of change feels so distant – what can any of us possibly do to see the sort of renewal Nehemiah was aiming at?
This is where I take heart from that line in the song: I can’t change the world, but I can change the world in me. The one thing I can do, regardless of world events, is make good choices about how I live. Revolutions happen one person at a time. The kingdom of God grows one person at a time. If enough of us practise humility, generosity and integrity then the world starts to change.
Nehemiah knew this. He knew that he had to practise what he preached, in order to see real change. But I get the feeling that he would have done it anyway, regardless of whether other people noticed; for him, integrity was ultimately a matter between him and his Lord: (v15) ‘Out of reverence for God I did not act like that.’
For Nehemiah, this meant refusing the perks of power: he didn’t eat the governor’s food for the whole time he was there, which turned out to be twelve years (I wonder if King Artaxerxes knew it would be that long when he agreed?!). Interestingly, despite this commitment being lived out over a such a long period, the food was still prepared for him every day (v18). Instead, it was used to feed a large number of others (v17), which included those who were not officials i.e. those who really needed food. Nehemiah turned his humility into generosity, something he was glad to do ‘because the demands were heavy on the people’ (v18).
The leadership lesson here is that true leadership requires humility, integrity and self-sacrifice – something we ultimately see confirmed and modelled in Jesus, 450 years after Nehemiah. Again, let’s pray for more leaders in public life committed to these ideals. However, there’s a general principle here. Change begins with us. Nehemiah had huge challenges to deal with; he could have seen the food allowance as a perk, a reward for all the stress. Instead, he chose humility and generosity, and his personal integrity blessed dozens of people, before he even went to work.
Let’s pray today for the grace to emulate Nehemiah; to change the world in us, and trust the Lord for the rest. And may we echo Nehemiah’s short final prayer, with faith and gratitude (v19) ‘Remember me with favour, my God.’