Plan

                I  was cupbearer to the king.

 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” (Nehemiah 1:11b-2:3)

 

First, two historical notes: 1) The cupbearer was a trusted servant. After all, it was his duty to risk his life every time a bottle, glass, cup, or bowl was brought before the king. 2) Apparently, for much of history, servants of rulers were required to keep the rulers happy. Long faces could be punishable by death in some cases, so when Artaxerxes commented to Nehemiah about his sadness, Nehemiah had reason to be afraid. But beyond that, this was what he’d been praying for. Here it was! And if he screwed it up, the king might associate him with the request and reject anyone else’s appeal as well. Everything hung on what Nehemiah said next.

Nehemiah’s answer was shrewdly phrased as a question. If he’d said “I’m sad because the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins…” the king could have waved it off as an excuse. Instead, he asks a question that required the king to think. Why shouldn’t he be sad? The question put the king in a position to make a choice, which required at least a moment’s more consideration than a challenge (though it was actually a challenge.) It left the king feeling in charge.

I probably wouldn’t have handled the situation as well, but I suspect that Nehemiah did what I don’t do. He prepared. He knew his audience, and he may even have practiced his approach. That may have been part of his prayers. So when the king asked, Nehemiah knew what to say.

When it came to identifying what people Nehemiah needed to approach and win to his side, it was easy. He needed the king, a man who already liked and trusted him. For you to achieve your goals, to whom will you need to turn? How can you express your desires in a way that will provoke both thought and cooperation? Hint: one of the people is you/.  Will talking to the person whose help you need require a phone call or do you see them in the course of the day? Do you have the supplies you’ll need? Make a plan to get them.

If you do not plan and prepare to succeed you are planning and preparing to fail.