So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

(Nehemiah 4:6 NIV)

Note: Today’s joke has been adjusted by the Humor Fairness Board, to avoid offending anyone based on hair color.  We appreciate your understanding.  😊

A preacher driving down the road notices his gas tank is nearly empty. He pulls into a gas station to fill up, and then realizes he’s locked his keys in the car.  Trying to stay calm, he goes inside and asks the attendant, “Do you have a coat hanger?  I locked myself out.”

The clerk hands him one, and the preacher returns to the car, awkwardly trying to hook the lock through the crack in the window.  After ten minutes of fumbling, the curious attendant walks out to check on him.

To his surprise, he sees the preacher working the coat hanger — while another preacher inside the vehicle is calling out directions: “A little more to the left… okay, now a little to the right!”

It’s a silly image — but maybe not so far from real life.  If you’ve ever worked on a project — at your job or in the church — you’ve probably encountered someone who acts like the guy in the car.  They’re full of advice, ready with suggestions… but unwilling to actually do anything helpful.

Of course, encouragement is important. But at some point, words alone aren’t enough. True support shows up not just in telling others what to do, but in doing the work alongside them.

That’s what makes Nehemiah’s story so inspiring. Rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall was no small task.  But Nehemiah tells us they built the wall, “for the people had a mind to work.”

Their success didn’t come from one man.  It came from a group of people who rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Some stood guard, others laid bricks — but everyone did their part. No one “stayed in the car” while others did the work.

When there’s work to be done, be quick to help, slow to criticize, and ready to lend a hand.  Because building the kingdom — like rebuilding that wall — takes all of us working together.

Prayer: Father, give me a heart that’s willing to serve, not just speak. Help me to encourage others, but also to work alongside them. May I be never known as someone who just stands on the sidelines. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day