January 27, 2023
Inspect What You Expect
Nehemiah - “Next to him, repairs were made by a group of Levites working under the supervision of Rehum son of Bani. Then came Hashabiah, the leader of half the district of Keilah, who supervised the building of the wall on behalf of his own district. Next down the line were his countrymen led by Binnui son of Henadad, the leader of the other half of the district of Keilah.” (Nehemiah 3:17-18)
DAILY DEVOTION
When you read the third chapter of Nehemiah, you will notice that Nehemiah’s name is never mentioned, not even once. Does this mean that he wasn’t working? Absolutely not. Nehemiah wasn’t kicked back, relaxing somewhere while everyone else was working. He was out walking the perimeter of the wall supervising the work. Tom Peters, in his book Passion for Excellence describes Nehemiah’s type of administration practices as MBWA - Management By Walking Around.
Nehemiah was continually walking around the project sites, checking up on people, making note of the remaining supplies, finding out what’s going on, encouraging those who were working so hard on the wall. He was also checking in with section and area supervisors like Rehum, Hashabiah, and Binnui. (Nehemiah 3:17-18) These men were appointed supervisors who helped control, manage, administer, and supervise the work to make sure the rebuilding was going well.
Good organizations not only have clear job descriptions for those serving with them, but they also have clear lines of authority. There must always be supervision when undertaking any type of project (Nehemiah 3:5, 17-18). A good supervisor follows the example of Nehemiah by walking around the project sites, checking up on people, making note of supplies, finding out what’s going on, and encouraging those who are actively working. In doing this, leaders inspect what they expect because people always do what is inspected way more than what is simply expected.
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITY
Even if it’s simply in our own household, each of us have projects we oversee. Think about those projects you oversee. Are you taking the time to inspect what you expect? Circle those projects where you need to improve and make a plan to do so. If you’re leading your family through this devotion time, gather them together and discuss a family project that you haven’t discussed recently. Check up on each family member’s work, survey their supplies, and encourage them to continue working hard.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, whenever You give me a project to complete, help me to follow the example of Nehemiah and administrate well. In the name of Jesus, Amen.