Who here has heard of alien hand syndrome? It’s a rare condition in which an individual’s hand does not work in tandem with the rest of their body. Sometimes this is just a nuisance, like spilling your coffee or dropping your book. But sometimes it’s downright dangerous, leading to people punching or choking themselves without their control. 

Needless to say, that is not a healthy way for a body to function. Actually, that’s not any way for a body to function. For a body to function properly, all members must be working together to accomplish the same goal. Interestingly, we see this same concept in the Bible. We’re told of a group of people who are to be working together as a single unit, but encounter some trouble along the way. Please turn to Nehemiah chapter 2. 

2:17-18

Right off the bat, Nehemiah sees the problem and informs the congregation of Israel about said problem. But we’re pretty used to that, right? That’s what the preacher does on a regular basis. But the next part is what we’re not so used to. After the message was delivered, the people immediately got to work. 

In 2:18, the congregation of Israel says, “let us rise up and build.” Using the words “rise up” tells us that they acknowledge that they had not been doing what they should have been. But more than just the acknowledgment, we see that they were willing to make the appropriate changes. 

As Christians, there are times that we will fall short. That’s just the fact of it. But when that happens, it’s up tp us to make the changes that need to be made. 

Additionally, we see that the people of Israel did not always get along in 5:1-13. The congregation of Israel was fighting against itself. Some people were asking others to give them food,  the others were then saying that they had loaned out their fields and couldn’t give them any, and that the people they’d loaned them to were already borrowing money! What a mess! Then we find out that the Israelites were taking the sons and daughters of OTHER ISRAELITES to be their servants until their debts were paid off. That is certainly no way for a body to function. 

They had their disagreements, but they continued the work any way because they knew that their goal was bigger than their disagreement. They resolved the issue and carried on the work as diligently as before. 

The next thing that’s worth nothing is that everyone helped with the building. In the American church today, a lot of the time the minister will present a change that needs to be made and the congregation says, “Yeah, you’re right! You and the elders should really get on that! We’ll be cheering you on from the pews!” But that is not what the people of Israel did. Nehemiah told the people what needed to be done, and they all pitched in to get it taken care of. 

All throughout our text, we see people of different occupations, statuses, or positions helping with the work. We see priests in 3:11, the governor in 3:7, goldsmiths in 3:8, perfumers in 3:8, district rulers in several different places, daughters in 3:12, and temple servants in 3:26. No one was considered too good or not good enough to do the Lord’s work. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not sure I’d feel very confident working beside a perfumer with a sword. But they did, because there was work to be down. 

Just as all of the Israelites came together to do the work of the Lord, so must the congregation of His people do today. This is illustrated beautifully by the apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 12:12-30. We see that every part of the congregation has a role to play, and that every role is vital. I cannot put enough emphasis on the importance of us putting aside our differences for the sake of the kingdom. It is so, so important for us to remember that doing God’s work is the job of all of His people, not just the preacher. 

Don’t be the alien hand of the Lord’s church. Don’t decide that you’re either too good or not good enough to do God’s work. Don’t be a detriment to those around you who are striving to live lives that are pleasing to Him. To put it simply, don’t be the alien hand of Christ’s body. 

What is it in your life that needs to be improved? Prayer life? Time in the Word? Godly relationships with friends and family? Your service to the church? Relationships with God’s people? Whatever it is, I encourage you to rally with your congregation and to rise up and build. 

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Ariana Crowell

Hey everyone! My name is Ana and I'm currently a junior at Freed-Hardeman University, double majoring in Bible and Physical Therapy Assistance. I live in Bethel Springs, TN. I've been a Christian for five years and have spoken for ladies events both stateside and abroad. I love the Word of God and I love sharing it with others!

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