Our world seems to be full of people who want to be pessimists. They always want to focus on the negative, point out flaws, or question motives. They can’t cheer for the successes of others because they are so envious of the situation. They use any tactics possible to sabotage the appeal and motivation of those around them.
And often, we let them win. We let them creep into our minds to start questioning what exactly God has called us to do. We let them cause us to reconsider the plans we know He has for us. We let them frustrate us until we stumble before the end. We take our eyes off what we have been called to do and focus on the noise around us.
In the book of Nehemiah, the prophet Nehemiah is called to return home and rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer, but he felt a sense of urgency to return home and help his people rebuild the wall around the city. He got there, saw the state of the city, and encouraged the people to rebuild the wall. So they began to rebuild. Each group of people took a piece of the wall to rebuild.
Nehemiah faced intense opposition almost immediately. Naturally, not everyone was enthusiastic about rebuilding the wall, so haters and fearmongers began working against the mission. They criticized the project, fabricated lies, and complained about it.
“They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued to work with even greater determination.” Nehemiah 6:9
Nehemiah’s response is the model we should follow. He ignored the haters and fearmongers and went to work with greater purpose. He did not let these people stop him from doing what he knew God had called him to do. He buckled down, focused, and kept going.
“On October 2, the wall was finished, only fifty-two days after the work began. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were afraid and ashamed. They realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” Nehemiah 6:15-16
Nehemiah stuck to the task at hand, and when the wall was finished, his opponents could only give God credit. It was not an easy task, nor was it a quick one. But Nehemiah remained focused on the call God had given him and continued to work despite what others said.
How many times have we given up on what God has called us to do because of others? How many times have we lost our start because we stumbled before we finished because of discouragement? How many times have we given up, and because of that we missed an opportunity for God to gain so much glory through our situation? There will be very few times in life when we make decisions or pursue dreams that everyone supports and encourages us. We must realize that just because there is opposition in our path, it does not mean that we have misunderstood our calling or decision. Sometimes the enemy sends this opposition to distract, discourage, and defeat us. Will we stop building our wall or will we continue with greater determination?
This blog was written by Amy Carrico: Author of Making the Moments Matter
Last updated on July 5, 2024
