Thursday, October 1, 2026

Bible in a Year Reading Plan: Ezekiel 31-36 | 1 John 1

Leadership can feel lonely. There are moments when the responsibility seems to rest entirely on your shoulders. You see what needs to be done, you know what is at stake, and you may quietly convince yourself that asking for help means you aren’t strong enough to lead. 

But God never designed leadership to be a one-person job. 

In Nehemiah 4, the people were rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall while facing opposition and threats. Nehemiah understood that the work was too important and the danger was too real for anyone to stand alone. So he positioned people together. Families stood with one another. Leaders rallied the people. Everyone had a role to play. 

Nehemiah 4:13-14
So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.

Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”

Notice what Nehemiah didn’t say: “I’ll handle this.” 

He didn’t try to be everyone’s strength while refusing to receive strength himself. He recognized that the work required more support. Sometimes the wisest thing a leader can do is look around and ask, “who can help me carry this?” 

Maybe you need someone to pray with you. Maybe you need a trusted friend who can listen without trying to fix everything. Maybe you need someone with a different skill set, perspective, or experience. Maybe you simply need someone to remind you that you’re not alone when the work becomes overwhelming. 

Adding support doesn’t make your leadership weaker. It makes the load lighter and the mission stronger. You don’t have to prove your strength by carrying everything yourself. Even Moses needed Aaron and Hur to hold up his hands (Exodus 17:8-13). Nehemiah needed the people beside him, and you need people, too. 

God often answers our prayers for strength by placing people around us. So today, don’t just ask, “How can I do more?” Ask, “Who can I invite into this with me?” 

You were never meant to build alone. 

Questions: 

1. Where in your leadership are you trying to carry too much by yourself?
2. Who are three people you can invite to support, encourage, or pray with you?
3. How might receiving support actually strengthen your leadership?

Next Steps: 

1. 1. Identify one area where you need support. 
2. 2. Reach out to one trusted person and honestly share what you’re carrying.
3. 3. Look for opportunities to support another leader who may be carrying too much alone.

Prayer: 
God, remind me that I was never created to carry every burden alone. Give me the humility to recognize when I need help and the courage to ask for it. Surround me with people who will pray with me, encourage me, challenge me, and stand beside me when the work becomes difficult. Help me release the pressure to prove myself through independence. Teach me that receiving support is not weakness, but wisdom. Build a community around me where we strengthen one another, serve faithfully together, and keep our eyes fixed on you. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:
Ephesians 4:15
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.