Godly Leadership Means Sacrifice: Lessons from Nehemiah 5

We are now four weeks into our Rebuild series through the book of Nehemiah, where we’ve been seeing that God can rebuild what looks irreparably broken. We’ve seen it in Scripture. We’ve seen it in our church. And many of us have seen it in our own lives—families restored, faith revived, callings rediscovered, and strength returning where shame once lived.

But the rebuilding of anything—whether a life, a home, a church, a community, or a culture—always involves leadership. We feel this everywhere. A child’s joy on a team often comes down to the coach. Workplace culture often reflects the heart of its supervisor. The tone and direction of a home follow the posture of its parents. Even the health of nations rises and falls on leadership. Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice…” We know the truth of that verse because we’ve lived it. We’ve had leaders we would run through walls for, and leaders we couldn’t get away from fast enough. The difference is almost always the same: Did they lead for their own benefit, or for ours?

That’s the question Nehemiah 5 raises for us. And the answer teaches us something essential for anyone in a position of influence—whether you’re a parent, a manager, a ministry leader, a teacher, a coach, a group leader, a doctor, a business owner, or a student with a circle of friends. Godly leadership is marked by sacrifice for others.

Leadership as Stewardship, Not Self-Advancement

Nehemiah had been appointed governor over Judah for twelve years. In that role, he had the legal right to tax the people heavily in order to support his lifestyle. This is exactly what the previous governors had done. They laid heavy burdens on the people in order to live comfortably themselves. Their leadership was about taking—taking advantage, taking resources, and taking honor. They saw power as a platform for personal gain.

But Nehemiah led differently.

“Neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.” (Nehemiah 5:14)

Why did he refuse what he was entitled to? Verse 15 tells us:

“But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.”

Nehemiah was guided by the glory of God, not the advancement of self. As Pastor Tony Merida put it, Nehemiah believed that governing for the glory of God would be good for others. His leadership said: You before me. His authority was not a platform to build his own name, but a calling to bless others.

This stands in contrast to what Ezekiel 34 condemns—leaders who “feed themselves instead of the sheep,” leaders who use people rather than serve them. Nehemiah shows us something radically different: leadership is not lordship. Leadership in the kingdom of God lays down privilege for the good of others.

Staying Close to the Mission

Nehemiah refused to live off the people, but he also refused to remove himself from the work.

“I also persevered in the work on this wall… and all my servants were gathered there for the work.” (Nehemiah 5:16)

Nehemiah didn’t rise above the mission. He stayed in it. He didn’t treat leadership as distance—he treated it as participation. He didn’t say, “I lead, so others build.” He said, “I lead, so I will build alongside you.”

He did not acquire land or wealth while the wall was unfinished. He didn’t use his role to build personal security while the people were still vulnerable. He did not forget why he was there. The mission shaped him, not the perks of the role. And he led those around him to keep the same clarity—remembering that they were not merely building walls but restoring God’s people to flourishing and faith.

This is a needed word for us. It is easy to become successful enough, comfortable enough, or respected enough that we believe we have graduated from sacrifice. But in the Kingdom of God, maturity moves us deeper into devotion, not further away from it.

The Cost He Carried

Then Nehemiah says something remarkable:

“What was prepared at my expense…” (Nehemiah 5:18)

He fed 150 people every day. He absorbed the financial weight of leadership himself. He chose generosity over entitlement. He chose burden-bearing over burden-placing. The mark of Nehemiah’s commitment to the mission was his generosity.

This was not just emotional support. It was material. It was costly. It was specific. Generosity was proof that his heart was anchored with the mission of God and the flourishing of God’s people. And this forces us to ask the question: Where has God given me influence? And am I using this influence to build others up, or to build myself up?

That applies to:

the college student who has influence long before income
the parent whose tone shapes the spiritual culture of the home
the business owner whose leadership affects families, livelihoods, and futures
the group leader whose table becomes a place of belonging or distance
the pastor who chooses whether people exist to serve him, or whether he exists to serve them

Leadership always reveals which mission we are serving—God’s or our own.

Lead Sacrificially

I’d like to call us today to follow Nehemiah’s example by leading sacrificially.

Lay down privilege for the good of others.
Use your position to lift, not leverage.
Carry the weight instead of placing it on others.
Let generosity define your leadership, not entitlement.

But we need to see something more: Nehemiah points us to Jesus. Nehemiah absorbed financial cost, but Jesus absorbed eternal cost. Nehemiah refused to burden the people, but Jesus took our heaviest burden—sin, guilt, judgment, and death. Nehemiah gave up a meal allowance, but Jesus gave up His life.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30)

Jesus can say that because he took the heavy burden on Himself. He did not lead from above—he led from the cross. And this is why we lead sacrificially. Not to earn the approval of God, but because we already have it through Christ.

Final Word

So, wherever God has given you influence—in a home, a workplace, a ministry, a classroom, a friend group, a team, a business, a community, a marriage—lead sacrificially.