Nehemiah 6:15
So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
Nehemiah was one of the greatest builders that we read about in the Scriptures. The wall was started and finished in fifty-two days. That is an amazing accomplishment when you consider that he started with a wall in rubbles, so torn up that the beast he rode on could not follow the path of the wall. Yet, in these fifty-two days, he led to the cleaning up of the rubble to the finishing of the wall.
The builder’s mindset is one of the key elements every leader must have, and this mindset would be good for every follower to obtain. Nehemiah’s great leadership abilities were partly because of his building mindset. A leader who does not have a building mindset is likely leading people nowhere. You must have a mindset to build if you are to lead people. Let me share the characteristics from Nehemiah’s life of a builder’s mindset.
First, a builder’s mindset is one that envisions what can be done despite the difficulty of the task. Builders tend to see what others cannot see. There were many in Nehemiah’s day that saw the same wall, but only Nehemiah had the vision to rebuild what was torn down. A builder never lets the difficulty of the task stop them from attempting to build something. A builder has great vision that sees beyond the difficulty of what it takes to make the vision a reality.
Second, a builder’s mindset is to start building and continue building. Every person I have been around who was a great builder always had projects to build. I would rather have the builder’s mindset that always has something else to build than to have a mediocrity mindset that settles for what they have. The builder always does more because they never stop building, which is a characteristic of a person of faith.
Third, a builder’s mindset is to battle. It is not that the builder chooses to battle, but battles tend to come to those who build. Satan will not sit idly by as God’s people build something. Nehemiah faced opposition from day one, and any person who chooses to build something for God will constantly face opposition. You must get a stomach to face opposition and battle if you choose to be a builder. If you don't have the stomach for battles, you can be assured that you will settle for mediocrity. It is not that the builder enjoys the battles, but battles are a part of building.
Fourth, a builder’s mindset is to pray. Nehemiah built, battled, and prayed, and all three actions are necessary to building and finishing what you are building. You can build and battle, but there are times you must get alone to pray to receive strength, encouragement, and wisdom that only God gives to those who pray. Never get too busy building that you don't have any time to pray. Make time to pray!
Fifth, a builder’s mindset is to stay focused. Nehemiah never got sidetracked from the great work at hand, and you must never let the unimportant pull you from what you are doing for God. There are many good things that will sidetrack you from what you are doing for God, but what you are doing for God must stay your primary focus.
Sixth, a builder’s mindset is to finish. Don't be guilty of starting something and never finishing. Finishing what you start will place you in rare company. Whatever you do, always finish.