Decision Making with Nehemiah
A brilliant tool for every Christian leader to have is a devotional written by Kenneth Boa, Sid Buzzell, and Bill Perkins titled Handbook to Leadership: Leadership in the Image of God. Many of the Leader Development principles found in this blog come from the wisdom God has given to these men.
Regarding decision making, Boa et al. (2007) write, “Decision making is one of leadership’s core competencies. In fact, decision-making ability differentiates between poor and good, and between good and great, leaders. Decisions reveal values and intelligence. They require obedience to and dependence upon God. They demand wisdom” (p. 260).
Boa et al. (2007) go on to assess Nehemiah’s steps toward wise decision making in Nehemiah 1:1-11. They provide four steps in reflection of this passage:
First, Nehemiah carefully studied all the details of his situation (Neh. 1:2-3).
Nehemiah then expressed a heart of empathy that saw beyond his own perspective (Neh. 1:4).
A posture of humility before God then dominated Nehemiah’s posture going forward (Neh. 1:4).
Finally, before ever making a decision, Nehemiah desperately and passionately sought God in prayer (Neh. 1:5).
Boa et al. (2007) then write, “Ultimately, Nehemiah knew what every great leader knows: All wisdom comes from God, and using His wisdom to make good decisions is something God wants to help us learn to do” (p. 261).
I agree. You should buy their book. It’s a treat.
References
Boa, Kenneth, Sid Buzzell, and Bill Perkins. Handbook to Leadership: Leadership in the Image of God. Atlanta: Trinity House Publishers, 2007.
