Why A Good Leader Is A Builder

The Art Of Leadership
Do you realise the difference being a builder makes to the life of a leader? Here are a few more reasons why a good leader is a builder.

1. Good leaders build houses because they have the humility to build slowly like the man who built on a rock.

Obviously, building on sand is much quicker than building on a rock. In fact, it would take a long time to build a foundation on a rock. Proper construction takes a long time. You must be prepared to spend a long time building your house. You must not expect things to be completed in a short time.

There is a type of man who simply wants to rent a house now. He does not want to roll up his sleeves and build anything. He wants to look successful and accomplished today! Looking successful, accomplished and settled costs people true prosperity. The price of looking successful and accomplished quickly is often the price of a house.

He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the storm beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. Luke 6:48

2. Good leaders build houses because they are pragmatic. You may plan to live in a mansion way up on a hill. But you may not be able to practically build your dream house. You need to be realistic and do what you can do for now. Step by step you will rise on the property ladder. And God will take you from victory to victory and glory to glory. Life is such that you do not have what you really want. Those who wait for the 'ideal' never enter into the 'real'.

You will never have the money that you really need. Most people will never really be able to employ a contractor. Many people will have to fight the problems of life and build a house at the same time. If you are waiting for a good time when everything is okay and money is flowing you may never build anything. Nehemiah had to fight and build at the same time.

Those who were REBUILDING the wall and those who carried burdens took their load WITH ONE HAND DOING THE WORK AND THE OTHER HOLDING A WEAPON. Nehemiah 4:17, NASB

3. Good leaders build houses because they are able to work for long hours. Nehemiah worked for long hours. Many good leaders work for long hours. The principle is the same. If you sow seeds for many hours you would have sown many more seeds than someone who sowed for a few hours. Obviously, you will reap much more by working longer hours. Leaders work for long hours and this enables them to build houses.

Nehemiah built the wall from dawn until the stars appeared.

SO WE LABOURED IN THE WORK: AND HALF OF THEM HELD THE SPEARS FROM THE RISING OF THE MORNING TILL THE STARS APPEARED. Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, NONE OF US PUT OFF OUR CLOTHES, SAVING THAT EVERY ONE PUT THEM OFF FOR WASHING. Nehemiah 4:21-23

4. Good leaders build houses because they do many jobs at the same time. Nehemiah, who built the walls of Jerusalem, deployed the principle of doing many jobs at the same time. Many good leaders do several jobs at the same time. After all, the principle is clear: You reap what you sow. If you sow into many jobs you will reap from many jobs. So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, THAT IN THE NIGHT THEY MAY BE A GUARD TO US, AND LABOUR ON THE DAY.

So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.

Nehemiah 4:21-23

5. Good leaders build houses because they work in the day as well as in the night. Nehemiah, who built Jerusalem, worked in the day as well as in the night. Working in the day as well as in the night enables you to sow important seeds that will bear fruit. The seeds sown in the day and the seeds sown in the night will combine to give you a mighty harvest. It is this harvest that will be used to build a great house.

So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, THAT IN THE NIGHT THEY MAY BE A GUARD TO US, AND LABOUR ON THE DAY. Nehemiah 4:21-22

May all our leaders become builders!
By Dag Heward-Mills