Forget Yourself and Fear the Lord

Nehemiah 5 is one of the most surprising moments in the entire book. Up to this point, everything in the story has been moving in the right direction. The wall is rising, the people are unified, and the enemies who mocked them in chapter 4 have been silenced. Then suddenly—right in the middle of the work—Nehemiah discovers a crisis inside the camp.

The people of God are crying out again. But this time, they’re not crying out because of the Egyptians or any foreign enemy. The threats they’re facing are internal.

The wealthier Jews were exploiting the poor—charging high interest, taking their land, and even enslaving their children just to collect debts. The same people who had joined hands to build the wall were now tearing each other down. It’s heartbreaking.

And when Nehemiah hears the news, Scripture says, he was “very angry.” His response is worth paying attention to, because it shows us something about what godly leadership looks like when injustice and conflict appear within the people of God.

1. Godly people control their emotions.

Nehemiah’s anger was righteous—it came from compassion, not pride. But even righteous anger can lead to sin if it’s not submitted to God. That’s why verse 7 is so powerful: “I took counsel with myself.”

Nehemiah paused. He didn’t explode, retaliate, or lash out. He stopped to think, to pray, and to plan.

Spiritual maturity always shows up in emotional self-control. Proverbs says, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty” (16:32). The Apostle James reminds us to be “slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

When you’re upset, the most Christlike thing you can do is slow down. Take a breath. Let the Spirit speak before you do.

2. Godly people confront sin with courage.

Once Nehemiah had thought and prayed, he took action. He gathered the nobles and officials—the wealthiest people in Jerusalem—and told them plainly, “What you are doing is not good.” He challenged them to repent, return what they had taken, and stop charging interest.

And they did. The people said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them.” It’s a rare moment of humility and repentance. Nehemiah didn’t ignore the problem or sweep it under the rug. He spoke truth in love and trusted God with the results.

There’s a lesson here for every believer: you can’t fear people and fear God at the same time. Courage grows where the fear of the Lord takes root.

3. Godly people live with sacrificial integrity.

Nehemiah could have demanded the governor’s allowance. He had every right to live off the people’s taxes, but he refused. Verse 15 explains why: “I did not do so, because of the fear of God.”

Nehemiah chose to lead with a servant’s heart. He modeled what it means to lay down your rights so that others can thrive. It’s the same spirit we see in Jesus, who came “not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Two Ways to Live

At the end of the day, Nehemiah 5 boils everything down to two ways to live. You can live for yourself, like the rich Israelites who used others for their own gain. Or you can live for the Lord, like Nehemiah, who gave up what he could have kept because he loved God and His people more.

David Livingstone once said after a lifetime of missionary hardship, “I never made a sacrifice.” That’s what it looks like when your heart belongs to God.

So this week, forget yourself. Fear the Lord. Lead with integrity. Practice self-control. And live in such a way that when you stand before Jesus, you can say with joy, “I never made a sacrifice.”