Every day we all have things we must do. Some days we have more to do than others. In the course of our days, there are times when we might get stressed out. Perhaps we didn’t have everything done, so we had to do it another day. Then, on that day, because we added something to our day, something else didn’t get done. Soon, our schedules are off, and we end up stressed out. 

While rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, we get a good description of how everyone worked. Some, like the nobles from Tekoa, didn’t listen to their supervisors (Nehemiah 3:5). Others worked “zealously” like Baruch son of Zabbai (Nehemiah 3:20). We even know that women helped rebuild the wall (Nehemiah 3:12). The one thing everyone had in common though was how they worked.

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart (emphasis added).

Nehemiah 4:6 (NIV)

Since Nehemiah 4:6 tells us that everyone worked with all of their hearts, that means those nobles we read about did too. However, this verse struck me the most while studying Nehemiah today.

Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house.

Nehemiah 3:23 (NIV)

I have no idea how big Benjamin’s and Azariah’s houses were, but this verse tells me they repaired the wall that passed by their homes. Coupled with Nehemiah 4:6, I know that these two men repaired that wall with all of their hearts. 

In the natural, some people have a tendency to bite off more than they can chew. When we overextend ourselves, we can get stressed out. As Christians, we look around and see so much that needs to be done, and we try and do it all, which is impossible. In that case, we can get spiritually stressed out and become ineffective in ministry. And don’t think that you don’t have a ministry.

Your ministry is whatever God has given you to do today. Whatever your role is today. Father, mother, friend, etc. We all are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. That’s a big calling. In Matthew and Acts, we see a basic tenet of the Christian faith described. 

To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey (emphasis added).

Matthew 25:15 (NIV)

So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea (emphasis added).

Acts 11:29 (ESV)

God doesn’t ask us to be anyone but who we are. Therefore, God doesn’t expect us to try and be someone else. We see that Benjamin and Azariah repairing the wall near their homes helped build the entire wall. We can’t do anything more than what’s beyond our influence. Some people have more significant influence, and some people have less. If each person does what’s allocated, then whatever needs to be done will be done. Whether it’s rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall or the kingdom of God here on Earth.

Sure, there are times when we might be stretched to fill in for this or that person, but when that happens, we can be confident that God has prepared us to do it for as long as we need to do that thing. 

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