Click here to return to Blog Post Intro
Nehemiah’s 3 Tips for Solving Problems
Nehemiah demonstrated his problem solving abilities. Let’s follow his lead to:
- Retain our focus: While the walls of Jerusalem were rapidly taking shape, Nehemiah’s enemies tried to sidetrack him from the project by repeatedly inviting him to a summit (Nehemiah 6:1-4).
- Immediately confront any false accusations: Nehemiah’s enemies accused him of leading a revolt against King Artaxerxes–a potentially devastating lie (Nehemiah 6:5-9). Nehemiah confronted his enemies head-on, exposing their lies and praying for strength.
- Pray to God for strength and wisdom: Finally, Nehemiah’s enemies tried to intimidate him into violating God’s law by urging him to seek refuge in the temple (Nehemiah 6:10-14). Recognizing their motives, Nehemiah instead obeyed God and sought His strength.
No matter how powerful the opposition seems, God is an invincible ally. How much more effective to ask God, the One who sees and knows all, for help than to try to formulate a solution on your own!
Esther: An Example of Creativity & Timing to Solve a Problem
In Esther chapters 3-5, we learn about King Xerxes’ trusted advisor, Haman. All the royal officials knelt down to him, according to the king’s command. But Mordecai–a Jew–refused to kneel. So, Haman devised a cunning plot to destroy the Jews because of his hatred for Mordecai, and it appeared that all the Jews would be killed.
At first, Mordecai was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem, but he soon began to focus more on the solution than the problem. Mordecai concluded that God had sovereignly elevated Esther to Queen, so she would be in a position to counteract the deadly edict.
When he asked Esther for help, her response showed radical dependence on God, “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). She wisely determined the optimal conditions for her appeal to the king and waited until the right moment to make her petition (7:3-6). As a result of Esther’s courage and timing, her appeal worked. Ultimately, Haman was impaled on the pole he had set up to kill Mordecai.
After Haman’s death, Esther requested that King Xerxes allow her and Mordecai to write a decree that would overrule the effect of the previous edict and permit the Jews to defend themselves throughout the provinces of the empire (8:1-17).
Esther and Mordecai prove that a leader’s focus should be more on considering solutions rather than dwelling on problems. They also remind us that creativity and timing are essential in effective problem solving.
Daniel: A Brilliant & Empowered Problem Solver
In today’s leadership vernacular, “empowerment” is a trendy word. The story of Daniel shows how empowerment works…and it took place long before the word came to existence. In Daniel 5:16, King Belshazzar promoted Daniel to the “third highest ruler in the kingdom” because he could “solve difficult problems.” Wise leaders encourage effective problem solving throughout the organization…and Belshazzar benefited because he knew Daniel would provide better solutions to problems than he would devise himself.
Belshazzar was troubled by a hand writing on his wall (pictured above). David told him it was a message from God, who told Belshazzar: “God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (Daniel 5:26-28). That very night, Belshazzar was slain!
How many second-best solutions are implemented by your team or your organization because the best ones are never expressed by people who have them? Are any of your team members Quiet? Learn more about “The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” from my last blog post.
May you solve problems effectively—like these three Old Testament heroes—as you shoot for the stars!