Choosing to Suffer
"May the King live forever! Why should my face not look
sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins
and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" (Nehemiah 2:3)
What's wrong with these guys, anyway? Nehemiah and
Moses. They had it all. Money, comfort, security, prestige,
power - why in the world would they walk away from it all?
Moses was the adopted son of the Pharaoh's daughter. He
had all the pleasures and privilege, luxuries and power
anyone could dream of.
Nehemiah, born in exile, knew nothing of the wars that
destroyed their homeland, except for what he'd heard. He
moved up through the political ranks to a place right next
to the king - totally trusted - totally provided for. Why
leave that?
Moses saw everyday the suffering his people endured.
Nehemiah heard about the disgrace, poverty and despair of
the exiles gone home. And somehow, it sank in: "What am I
doing here? What right do I have to be so privileged?
They're part of me!" Perhaps Nehemiah envisioned them
living in ragged tents scraping for food while he slept
between Babylonian silk sheets after an eight course meal.
Perhaps it struck him: "Hey, I'm in a position to do
something!" But it was what he did that is so astonishing.
He didn't send a monthly tithe to the exiles. (He was
probably doing that already.) He gave up his life of
privilege to do something. Can you imagine?
He got a vision, and he paid the price to see it fulfilled.
It makes no sense! Maybe well-meaning relatives sat him
down and said, "Son, you can serve God where you are!
This isn't practical. Where's you common sense?" To
which he may have said, "God is sending me. It doesn't
have to make sense."
God can use a heart like that.
He left everything - for nothing.
He traded a palace for rubble.
Come what may, he committed like Moses to "suffer along
with the people of God". (Hebrews 11:25a) He'd rather
suffer with them to help them than stay home, stay safe
and do nothing.
That's commitment.
What did he see when he got to Jerusalem? A complete
mess, for sure. But that's not all he saw. He saw how to
change that mess.
Because, I believe, he saw what it was going to become -
a beautiful, restored homeland. The vision was clear.
Suffering, attack, ridicule and hardship were part of the
deal. He understood that.
My pastor is right: Someone should write a book on
Christian failure. We're so afraid of failing, we hardly ever
risk trying. No wonder it's "same ole same ole" in the
church at large. Add a wing to the church - "same ole same
ole". Go evangelize gang turf - now there's an idea. Risk.
Failure, maybe. But maybe not!
Some of the guys in my youth group got a crazy idea.
Pack up, move 650 miles and roof houses. Give a lot of
money to God's work.
They failed. Boy, did they fail. Lost tons of money.
People criticized. "We told them not to go. We knew it
wouldn't work."
I applauded them. They got out of the safety zone,
abandoning fear. And next time, they'll probably succeed.
God likes a fearless heart that's willing to fail.
And, as someone once said, the kingdom of God was never
advanced by caution.
History is filled with stories of vision-filled Christians who
chose to risk everything - security, status and comfort -
to take Christ to where He's needed most - to the streets,
to the AIDS wards, orphanages and broken homes. The
vision makes the cost irrelevant - even if you fail.
Nehemiah left everything for a pile of rocks. God honored
his boldness and broken heart and built a new city with a
palace where God Himself would dwell.
Jesus abandoned His palace, too, and like Moses and
Nehemiah, chose to live with broken, disgraced people. But
He didn't see the rubble. He saw a Palace He would live in -
us. And He risked everything to do it.
And, if His heart is in us, then we too will see the rubble,
the broken lives and broken hearts of those around us and
see palaces adorned with gold for our Father to dwell in.
When you get the vision, it will be worth whatever price
you have to pay.