March 4, 2026

Business by the Book

Nehemiah 4:17 …every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.

It was the fourth quarter of the game. Our football team was undefeated, but we were on the verge of losing. We needed a defensive stop. I played middle linebacker. The team we were playing was a good team, a big team, a championship team. On a certain play they gained about 12 yards by running the ball on a simple dive play. The defensive coach called me over to the sideline and let me know that my play was unacceptable and if I didn’t “step it up” I would be riding the bench.

So, that was it, from then on it was reckless abandon on my part. I took my place about four yards off the line of scrimmage and watched the play unfold. They were running the same play, the quarterback handed off to the fullback which was running for the middle of the line. I lowered my head and ran as hard as I could to the hole that I knew he would be running through and experienced a tremendous collision. I showed them, I thought. In my zeal I lowered my head not knowing that the fullback juked and sprang the run to the outside. The player I hit at full speed was our nose guard. I speared him in the middle of his back with my helmet. He was hurt, and out for the rest of the series.

We won the game, but I ran extra laps for a week. My problem was that I became one dimensional. My entire focus was on one thing - hit the ball carrier hard in order to please my coach. But the ball carrier sprinted to another portion of the field and I never touched him. This was just a game, and in the overall span of my life it meant nothing. But in Nehemiah’s day being one dimensional could have, at worst, cost them their life and at best caused them to fail in rebuilding the wall.

Today’s verse states that they did their work with one hand, and held a weapon in the other hand. They knew that the team that opposed them was planning to use physical violence in order to stop the rebuilding of the wall. If they only did their work with no regard for their physical danger the enemy could have come upon them maiming or killing them. If they only guarded themselves, the work would never be finished. So they became multi-dimensional.

In the complex world in which business is conducted today, successful people must be multi-dimensional. A sales person must gain new business, but also must protect their current business. Statistics have proven that it always costs more to get a new customer than to keep a current customer. A sales person may gain $100,000 in sales, but if they lose $100,000 in sales at the same time, what have they gained? In today’s business climate no one has the luxury to focus on one task or need. All tasks and needs must be anticipated.

Keep an eye open for all eventualities, keep the tools handy to handle any possible scenario and do the work, but keep an eye open for the competition. If not you may just run in head down with reckless abandon and end up hurting your own team. I know; I’ve done it.

Dr. William Howe