The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors. Nehemiah 3:5
The Bible is honest and shows us that human nature hasn’t changed. There’re always those who won’t pull their weight or work under another.
We aren’t told why the nobles wouldn’t work, perhaps they thought it was beneath them to do manual labour. Perhaps they didn’t like their supervisors. Perhaps they thought they had a better way of doing the task. Whatever the reason they left the work to others.
It still happens today. The so-called 80/20 Rule applies even in churches, 20 per cent of the people do 80 per cent of the work. Rather than worrying about how to solve this problem in the church, let’s think about how to solve it in our lives. In what areas of my life am I part of the 20 per cent doing the work? In what areas of my life am I part of the 80 per cent who are like the nobles of Tekoa?
Often we benefit from the work of others. We enjoy the blessing of sermons, books, church services that others have prayed over. We delight in new songs, paintings, creative displays that others have spent hours creating. We appreciate those who regularly help with morning tea, produce a newsletter, or tend to the maintenance of our church buildings. But what have we prayed over, spent time creating, or helped with? Where have we made our contribution?
While we can’t contribute to all the projects in our churches, there’ll be an opportunity somewhere to be part of the 20 per cent, and not always be part of the 80 per cent who enjoy the benefits but won’t do the work.
