Why do leaders build houses?

Building can be quite a difficult project to engage in.

Building requires many things to work together.

Remember that you can build a house too.

There are many reasons why leaders are builders.

And there are reasons why they are builders of houses.  

• Leaders build houses because they have the humility to build slowly like the man who built on a rock.  

I would like you to imagine these two scenarios: building on sand and building on a rock.

Obviously, building on sand would be 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. 

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 stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Luke 6:48  

There is a type of man who simply wants to rent a fabulous house now when he can do more than that.

He does not want to roll up his sleeves and build anything.  He wants to look successful and accomplished today.

The price of looking successful and accomplished quickly is often the price of a house.

Which of these two would you prefer?  It may be worth your while to hold on with the successful look and get down to accomplish the things that will actually make you successful.

• Leaders build houses because they are pragmatic and they work for long hours.

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 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 all the time.

You may never have all the money that you really need.

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

Being pragmatic will involve working for long hours too.

Do not become the work-to-rule expert who works only within some limited hours. 

You know you can do more than that.

Remember that in all labour there is profit! You will have to practically sow a lot of hard work to reap great fruits.

Many leaders work for long hours like Nehemiah did.  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. Nehemiah built the wall from dawn until the stars appeared.

How long do you work a day?

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 every one 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

• Leaders build houses because they pray for wisdom.  

When we think of building a house, we think of how much money we will need for such a project.

It is difficult to believe that money is not the key ingredient for building a house.  

Building is impossible for most people because they see it as directly related to the money they have. 

That is why you need the wisdom that makes you overcome impossible things.  

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4  

You can be a builder of a house too! May these principles guide you to be a builder of houses! And may your followers follow your example and build houses too!

Culled from “The Art of Leadership”

The writer is the founder of the Lighthouse Group of churches.
E-mail: theaol@ymail.com