"I said to the people, 'You see the trouble that we're in—Jerusalem lies in ruins. Its gates have been burned with fire. So come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and we will no longer be in disgrace.'" - Nehemiah 2:17

The Reality of Brokenness

We've all learned to live with dysfunction. Just like that smoke alarm in your house that's been chirping for months,  we adapt to brokenness in ways that would shock us if we really stopped to see it.

The biblical account of Nehemiah is a perfect display of this idea.  Here was a man with a regular job as a cupbearer, which meant his literal job description was to taste the king's food and drink to make sure it wasn't poisoned. Talk about job security issues! But when Nehemiah heard about the state of Jerusalem, with its torn-down walls, burned gates, and city lying in ruins, something rose up in him that I want to see rise up in you.

The people of Israel had adapted to their dysfunction. They were walking around broken gates, stepping over rubble, navigating around fires like it was normal. "Oh, careful sweetie, don't trip on that broken wall. Just walk around the fire, we just have to get over there really quick." They had made peace with the ruins.

We Do This Too

Before we judge Israel too harshly, let's be honest about our own lives. How many of us have that light that flickers, and instead of fixing it, we've turned it into a dance party for our kids? How many of us ignore that check engine light because we "can't afford to hear that sound"? We run out of soap, then deodorant the next day, and we're like, "What's happening?"

But it goes deeper than household maintenance. What about your health? When you stand up and grunt, you're like, "It's fine, it's fine." You're in pain, sleepless, exhausted, and your solution is "I just need my coffee." Are we caffeinating our way through dysfunction?

What about your relationships? There's tension at the dinner table that's so thick you could cut it with a knife, so the dinner table becomes non-existent. Your marriage has become two people doom scrolling next to each other at night, and you've convinced yourself that's normal. Your relationship with your children is strained or almost non-existent, but instead of addressing it, you just say, "Oh, teenagers."

The Nehemiah Spirit

Nehemiah rose up with holy boldness, the kind of courage that only a man who drinks possible poison all day could have. He looked at the broken-down walls and said, "This is not okay." He had what I call the Nehemiah spirit that says, "This is not how it's supposed to be, so let's do something about it."

My hope today is not just to be a Nehemiah to you, but to wake up the Nehemiah in you. That kind of spirit that looks at dysfunction and refuses to accept it as normal.

How to Respond to the Ruins

1. See It

The first step is to see the problem. Nehemiah didn't ask, "Do you see it?" He said, "You see it." It's unavoidable, it's obvious.  You see it, but you're choosing to ignore it.

Psychology calls this avoidance behavior, where there's a clear problem but you're figuring out how not to acknowledge it. It's self-preservation where you think, "If I see it, I'll feel the pain of it." But what you ignore does not disappear.

As people of faith, we have to be able to rise up and see where the problem is. You cannot have breakthrough where you still choose blindness. You know what it takes to see it? Laying down your ego, laying down your pride, because we are lying to ourselves when we say "It's fine, it's fine, everything's fine."

This is why Jesus said the truth will set you free, because He knows how good we are at lying to ourselves. Maybe you need to look at that bank account. Step on that scale. Be honest about where you were six months ago versus where you are now.

2. Say It

Nehemiah didn't just see the problem, he called it what it was: "Jerusalem lies in ruins." Calling it like it is isn't popular today, but it's honest.

Our culture loves to put a filter on everything. We love an aesthetic and a "vibe." We say, "As long as you're happy, follow your heart, live your truth." But Nehemiah said, "This is broken."

You cannot heal what you won't name. You have to name it. We're asking God for miracles, but we won't specify where we need Him to move. We say, "God, just move wherever you want." No - be specific. 

Too many people have labeled the broken places in their life as truth, but this is not your destiny. This is not the blueprint God designed for your life. Instead of saying what's really happening, we sugarcoat it. Instead of admitting there's broken respect in both directions in your home, you just say, "Teenagers, am I right?" Instead of acknowledging that you and your spouse are disconnected, you say, "We're just busy."

3. Surrender

This is where people usuallytoss it up to God and say, "Have your way." That's not what Nehemiah did. Surrender in this case means saying, "Here are my hands. I'm going to rebuild. I'm going to be the one."

Nobody wants to do the work because it's hard. There's blood, sweat, and tears involved. But surrender means saying, "God, use me to bring restoration to the life that you gave me." The state of your life is your decisions, and surrendering means you're going to do something about it.

What Surrender Looks Like

In your marriage: Apologizing first. Not "I'm sorry, but..." or "I'm sorry you feel that way." This looks like real remorse where you own your contribution and say, "I want to rebuild something here."

With your children: Put down your phone. "What's that game you're always playing? Can you show me your favorite part? I want to understand. I want to know you."

Physically: Set that alarm tomorrow morning and actually get up. You don't have to want to, but you can still do it. Go to bed and actually sleep. Charge your phone in another room. I dare you.

I once met with a psychiatric nurse practitioner who deals with severe mental illness. She told me that for the first three sessions with new clients, she doesn't address their presenting issue at all. All they talk about is sleep. After those three sessions focused solely on sleep strategies, 75% of her clients don't even need the medication they came for.

We're trying to medicate broken places in our lives when we're not sleeping, not nourished, not connected in relationships, not taking care of ourselves. Do something differently.  Eat a vegetable, drink a glass of water. Anything is better than nothing.

The Battle That Comes with Rebuilding

Here's what Nehemiah knew: the enemy doesn't need to attack you when you're already broken down. But the minute you start rebuilding and putting one block on top of another, that's when all hell comes against you.

That's why Nehemiah told the people to have a tool in one hand and a sword in the other. The enemy's objective is to steal, kill, and destroy. If you're already in shambles, he's accomplished his goal. But when you start rebuilding, that's where the attack comes.

When you book that workout, that counseling session, that financial consultation, when you plan that family dinner, know there's going to be resistance. Do it anyway. Have a tool in one hand and a sword in the other, recognizing that you can rebuild while you defend.

Jesus Responded to Your Ruins

The Bible says that while you were yet sinners, Christ died for you (Romans 5:8). When your life was in shambles, dead in sin, Jesus saw exactly what could happen and surrendered to the process. He gave His blood, sweat, and tears on the cross because of the ruin of sin and shame.

Jesus rebuilt your life in a way that only He can. He's the Savior of your soul. This isn't about self-help or saving yourself. Jesus does the impossible work with your spirit so you can do the possible work with your life.

God does the impossible, but He leaves the possible to you. Your finances getting in order - that's you. Your health getting in order - that's you. Your relationships - those are something you can work on. The impossible - saving you from sin and shame - that's on God.

It's Time to Build

Too many people have turned their crash-out into a camp-out, where "this is what happened to me, but now I'm staying like this." You cannot stay like thisnGod gave you everything you need to rebuild.

Nehemiah said the people of God will not live in disgrace. You need that kind of holy boldness. It takes boldness to declare: "This family is not going down like this." "This marriage is going to be glorifying to God." "This body is going to get in order, and I will walk in health and abundance because of Jesus."

Refuse to accept the broken things and walk out the fullness of what God has for you. He has more for you. Jesus said, "I have come that they might have abundant life" (John 10:10). This is not abundance - He wants more for you.

The question is: do you want it for yourself?

You have what you need. You're not ill-equipped. You're not unprepared. This is yours to rebuild, and it's going to be better. When you have that Nehemiah vision, you don't just want to get back to how it was, you want more. More for your life, more for your family.

It's time to respond to the ruins. See it, say it, surrender to the process of rebuilding. Your breakthrough is on the other side of your honesty, and your abundance is on the other side of your obedience.

You're going to make it through. You have everything you need. Let's rebuild.