The Challenge of Self-Sacrifice

Scripture — Nehemiah 5:14-19 (NRSV)

Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people, and took food and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. Indeed, I devoted myself to the work on this wall, and acquired no land; and all my servants were gathered there for the work. Moreover, there were at my table one hundred fifty people, Jews and officials, beside those who came to us from the nations around us. Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and every ten days skins of wine in abundance; yet with all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because of the heavy burden of labor on the people. Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

Devotion

It seems like almost every week we hear a story about some leader who has taken advantage of their position and opportunity. In some cases, a leader, even of a relatively modest nonprofit or church, makes an extraordinary salary. People certainly ought to be fairly compensated for their work. However some in positions of power and authority abuse their privilege for excessive personal gain.

Nehemiah chose another course. Unlike his predecessors who used their authority to tax the people heavily for the leader’s personal benefit, Nehemiah refused even what he was legally entitled to receive. He could have taken from the people the “food allowance for the governor,” but instead, he paid for his food and that of his many guests out of his own resources.

Furthermore, he devoted himself energetically to the wall-building effort. He didn’t sit back and enjoy the privileges of leadership, telling others to do the hard work while he relaxed. Rather, he joined his people in the exhausting labor of restoring Jerusalem.

Nehemiah exemplifies a leader who makes costly personal sacrifices for the sake of their work. I suppose one reason Nehemiah did this was so that those under his authority would respect and honor him as their leader. They knew he was not taking advantage of them, even receiving that to which he was legally entitled. When a leader chooses to sacrifice, this can greatly enhance not only their likability, but also their effectiveness in leading people. It also models for those under their care a life of selflessness and commitment.

In our leadership today, there are many different ways in which we can sacrifice for the sake of the people who work for us and for the work we do together. I think, for example, of something I experienced at the beginning of my time at Laity Lodge. My family and I were meeting Howard Butt, Jr., the founder and president of Laity Lodge, in his residence at the lodge. When we arrived a little early, my son chose to sit in a large, overstuffed chair. I didn’t blame him. It looked comfortable.

But when Howard Butt entered the room, I could tell that something was amiss. Apparently, my son had unknowingly sat in the chair that was always Howard’s chair. As soon as I realized this, I said, “Nathan, you’re sitting in Mr. Butt’s chair. You need to move.” But Howard would have none of it. He said, “No. Nathan is welcome to sit in that chair. I’ll sit in this other chair.” The problem was that the other chair was a small, uncomfortable, old wooden chair. A young teenager would do fine sitting in such a chair. But Howard was well into his 70s by then. I feared that it would be hard for him to sit for a long time in that rickety little chair. But that’s exactly what Howard did. I remember thinking how amazing it was to see a man of Howard’s stature and financial means inconvenience himself so that a young boy would feel comfortable and welcome.

Another example of a leader choosing to sacrifice for the sake of the work and the people who worked for him comes from the life of Max De Pree, the one for whom the De Pree Center where I work is named. Max was an executive at Herman Miller, the extraordinarily influential and successful furniture company. It had been founded by his father. In time, Max became the CEO of Herman Miller. In that position, he could have commanded a very large salary, like so many other CEOs of his rank and stature. But Max chose to limit his salary to 25 times the rate of the average hourly worker at Herman Miller. In today’s dollars, suppose that an average worker makes $30 per hour. When you do the math, that means that the top salary Max could make would be $1,500,000. Now, I’m not saying that’s a small amount of money. But it is very small compared to what so many other CEOs in Max’s position were earning. What Max did was quite similar to what Nehemiah did so many centuries ago by sacrificing his own personal gain. I wonder if Max, a man of deep faith and biblical knowledge, actually modeled himself on Nehemiah. I wish I had asked him that question when I spent time with him 10 years ago before he passed away.

I want to close with one more story. This story has to do with a woman I know who was not the CEO of her company, but rather one of the executive vice presidents. One day, while she was walking to her office, she noticed one of her employees struggling to carry several heavy boxes. Calling out to him, she said, “Do you need some help with those?” The man with the boxes looked shocked. He wasn’t used to being addressed by an executive in the company, not to mention receiving an offer of assistance. He quickly said that he didn’t need her help but appreciated the offer. She insisted, however, saying she would like to help him. So she grabbed one of the boxes and the two of them walked upstairs to the place where he was to deliver them. When they dropped off the boxes, she turned to say goodbye and noticed that there were tears in the man’s eyes. She asked, “Are you OK?” He said, “Oh yes. I’m fine. But I’ve worked for this company for almost 20 years, and no person in authority has ever offered to help me before. What you did today means the world to me.”

I recognize that all of my examples in this devotion are of leaders of significant stature. I don’t mean to suggest, however, that sacrificial leadership is only for those at or near the top. No matter your role in your company, nonprofit, church, school, or government agency, you can look for opportunities to sacrifice for the sake of others. You can decide to focus on the work, the mission, and your relationships with your colleagues rather than your own benefit. In this way, you can model your leadership on that of Nehemiah.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here.