This Sunday we return to our theme for the year, Renovation: Rebuilding for Purpose. As we continue to explore the journey of Nehemiah and the people of Israel as they embark on the monumental task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, I am again reminded of the tension between faithfully waiting and actively participating. Nehemiah was a faithful man, always prioritising the will of God in his life, but he did not allow that to tempt him into complacency. He didn’t use this as an excuse to sit back and become a passive spectator to the plans of God. Rather, Nehemiah ensured that at any given moment, he was prepared for the invitation of God, in whatever shape and at whichever time it came.

Is waiting just another word for being disengaged? Is planning just another word for taking over control? I often wonder where the sweet spot is between these two seemingly opposing attitudes. The truth is, God is calling us into both. We need to enter an attitude of open-handed preparation. We need to prepare for the things that we believe God is leading us toward but with an open grip that can see us let go of it should God call us into something different. I believe we can do this by asking ourselves two questions:

  1. What am I preparing for God?

  2. Am I willing to let it go for God?

And the focus of both these questions lies the key motivation for us, that in all that we do, we do it for God.

Matt Willis | Associate Pastor