Nehemiah knew how to communicate. He knew why, when, where, and who to communicate God’s Vision to.
Do you know how to communicate?
Let’s talk about the why, when, where, and who’s of communicating:
Can you communicate the WHY?
If you really want change, you have to not only know the WHY, but be able to communicate it. The “Why” is the most important part of communication for change or getting people on your team. If it’s not important to you, it will not be important to the team. Being in ministry, we have to believe we are the most important business in the world—God’s business.
Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” Nehemiah 2:17
You need to know WHEN.
WHEN: We must be right with God; right motive; we have enough information; and right attitude. To learn how to better read people, become more self-aware of others. Do you know when to ask and communicate what your trying to communicate?
You need to know WHERE.
Sometimes it needs to be in private, in public, or out to eat or meet in the office.
You need to know WHO.
Don’t ask someone who does not like kids to work in the children’s dept. Don’t ask someone to teach who can’t teach. Remember 3 & 4’s can’t lead 8 & 9’s. It comes back to being very self-aware of the person you want to ask.
You need to communicate the BENEFIT.
The BENEFIT and the WHY are very close. WHY is they can be a part of what God’s doing. The BENEFIT is what the end’s going to look like—it is working with someone that the hand of God is upon. The BENEFIT tells them what all God’s doing and done.
And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. Nehemiah 2:18
You need to know how to communicate or answer those in opposition.
Many times, you need to know how you are going to answer before you are asked. Not everyone wants to share in all God is doing, or will want to be a part of furthering God’s Kingdom. We want people to serve out of Vision not Guilt.
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 2:19-20