Then I said to them, “You can see the trouble we have here. Jerusalem is a pile of ruins, and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so we won’t be full of shame any longer.” I also told them how God had been kind to me and what the king had said to me.

Then they answered, “Let’s start rebuilding.” So they began to work hard. (Nehemiah 2:17-18)

I’m inspired by Nehemiah’s leadership. I’m amazed by his faith. I’m amazed by the response of the people of Jerusalem who committed to work side-by-side to clear the debris and rebuild the protective wall around the city. It’s easy to think the book of Nehemiah is about a project, the rebuilding of a wall. However, it’s about the people who were part of that project.

We often focus more on projects than people.

Projects cannot be planned, begun, or finished without people. Projects require a call to action and subsequent response.

As much as social networking allows us to stay connected with one another and communicate at lightning speed, it also invites us to treat people as projects.

There was recently a popular video flooding social networks. It was picked up by mainstream media outlets. It was talked about in grocery store lines and church groups. It was a call to action, inviting – even challenging – people to get involved in a project of awareness and assistance. I heard of youth groups holding fundraisers and events and other inspiring stories. People were coming together, working side-by-side for a common cause.

I was moved by the video, but I hesitated before clicking the share button. I wondered why I was sharing. Was I willing to do anything else besides share, or was I simply jumping on the bandwagon of popularity of the most recent social cause? I’m not saying it would have been wrong to share the video or that anyone who shared it was wrong. I personally felt a pause, as if God was checking my motivation. Was I treating the situation as a project, or was I making it about people? Was I willing to personally invest, or was I only willing to do the easy thing, familiarizing myself with the basics but failing to respond?

What’s going on around you right now? How are you involved? Do you talk about the project, or do you get involved – whether in planning or completing? What’s your motivation?

God’s motivation is to involve people in his plan. He wants you to listen to when and how to respond. He has a project – probably more than one – with your name on it. Step up to your section of the wall and rebuild side-by-side others.