Leadership and Opposition (Part Two)

Yesterday we saw that criticism is often a part of serving God, and that sometimes that criticism can be very destructive. Today we return to Nehemiah 4 to see how Nehemiah responded to that kind of criticism…

Responding to Criticism (4:4-6)

Nehemiah set the example for our response to criticism. He responded in two ways:

• Prayer—“Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity” (v.4). Nehemiah was emotionally distraught and poured out his honest feelings to God. In addition to person insult, God’s will had been challenged. Nehemiah continued, “For they have provoked you to anger before the builders” (v.5 nkjv). This was God’s wall project!
• Perseverance—Nehemiah and his team kept on building. They answered their critics but refused to be diverted from what God had called them to do. Oftentimes, we can get drawn into endless meetings with our critics. A pastor recently shared with me an expression his critics were using with him: “We’re not being heard.” I asked him what he thought that meant. His answer: Leadership is not changing their mind!

How to Handle Personal Attack (4:7-8)

The word used in verse 8 is “attack.” Geography helps us here. A map of Bible lands shows that the threat came from all sides:

• North—Sanballat and the Samaritans
• East—Tobiah and the Ammonites
• South—Geshem and the Arabs
• West—Ashdod and the Philistines

In today’s world, personal attack usually comes from within and often is in the form of a letter or email. When these are sent anonymously, the attacker is hiding behind his anonymity. My suggestion: Immediately discard all unsigned attack letters! The personal attack can be targeted against your ministry, your integrity, or your personal character—it’s discouraging. When you do make a response, it needs to be made in harmony with your leadership team.
When Nehemiah was personally attacked from the outside, it coincided with discouragement from within the ranks of the builders. We’ll conclude tomorrow…