Sacrificial Leadership
Words of Faith 7-1-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Nehemiah 5
[14] Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty second year– twelve years– neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. [15] But the earlier governors– those preceding me– placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. [16] Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

If someone was around accusing Nehemiah of taking on the governorship of Palestine for selfish reasons, Nehemiah wanted to clarify a few things. These were not boastful matters.

In all the time that Nehemiah served his first term as governor, he, of course, had a right to tax the people in order to provide for his own life and expenses. But he did not. For a first term of twelve years and then another term after that, Nehemiah refused to collect the "food allotted to the governor." Instead, Nehemiah went out of his way to sacrifice even what was normally his due to serve as an example to the people. Sometimes leadership requires sacrifice.

This was in stark contrast to other governors who had imposed a heavy tax burden on the people. Nehemiah's behavior as governor was guided by principles of service and by God's call rather than by opportunism. This was rare in the ancient world. In the Roman period, honest governors like Cicero were exceptional, and the Roman governors who came to Palestine were known for their predatory greed.

Leadership requires sacrifice. Those who are in it for what they can get will leave, move on, or be found out and thrown out. Sometimes extra effort is necessary to establish trust and solidify the people of God.

The Apostle Paul approached things in this way during his ministry. He pointed out that while he had the right to receive support from believers during his travel, he chose instead not to do so. “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense against those who sit in judgment on me. Don't we have the right to food and drink?” (1 Corinthians 9:1-4)

Paul clearly declared to the Thessalonians, “We did not eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you (2 Thessalonians 3:8). Sometimes leadership requires sacrifice.

There are several legendary business leaders who took “dollar-a-year” salaries to lead through tough economic times. This is commendable. One thing often not mentioned about those situations is that these executives received stock options that were not subject to payroll taxes. So it really was a rather sweet deal. I have known people who entered into full-time Christian service in missions or ministry staff for a “dollar-a-year”… literally, but there were no stock options except those paid in heaven.

Sometimes leadership requires sacrifice. I have known a number of pastors and leaders who have gone without paychecks or pay increases or taken salary reductions because this simply had to be done in difficult economic times. But this also established a clear solidarity with the people.

Leadership requires sacrifice. Perhaps it isn’t unpaid, but leadership requires sacrifice. What is your sacrifice?

Father God, teach me how to walk like Nehemiah. Teach me to walk in complete trust of You. Teach me how to sacrifice in response to Your leading, for no other reason and for no other time. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.