They tell you to sit down before they speak. When Nehemiah heard the remnant lived in affliction and reproach, the wall of Jerusalem broken down and the gates burned with fire, the strength of his legs gave out. He wept, mourned many days, fasted, and prayed—knocked down by the news, God’s work still before him. Nehemiah 1 presses a question every overwhelmed heart knows: what do you do when the need is undeniable and your strength is gone?
We can do the right thing and still face an uncomfortable question: are we doing it because God called us, or because we want people to notice? In Matthew 6, Jesus assumes his people will give to those in need, then warns that even this good act can become a way of practicing righteousness “to be seen by others.”