Overcoming Opposition Series

Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building--if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!" The workers became the punch line of every joke, and everyone got a laugh at their expense. Tobiah hoped that his sarcasm would make the builders cast an apprehensive glance at their hard work and activate within them an avalanche of discouragement.

Now... we might want to think this is childish...and that we aren’t affected by such criticism. But the truth is that we may not be easily affected in hearing this criticism...because it’s unrelated to us. We’re reading about other people. This criticism isn’t about us...nor is it coming from people who mean anything to us. But the truth is that we all have people whose criticism would matter. And there are things people could say about us that could matter. In fact ... most of us have doubts about ourselves... inner criticisms that we are trying to avoid.

And the truth is that we are all familiar with a primary way we deal with our own inner criticism. It’s called... avoidance... we don’t try to do anything that will significantly engage the way things are... so that there won’t be any big opposition. The easiest way to avoid criticism is to just not give anyone anything to even want to criticize. That’s one way.... just never try to build a life that reflects the will of God.

Bu there’s a better way.

Nehemiah 4:1-4-5

4 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. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. 6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

Here we see Nehemiah’s initial response to this initial opposition. And there are two steps that can serve as lessons to us.

The first thing we see is Nehemiah bring the opposition before God in prayer. We learn the value to...

Go to God with the conflict we may face.

Now this prayer was not nice, but it was understandable and honest. [4] He knew that the enemies were really fighting against God and so he asks God to deal with them.

If we pause on that choice...we realize it’s not often our natural instinct. If someone attacked us in this type of way...many of us would likely want to defend ourselves or do far more... and pray later. In times of conflict and criticism, prayer isn’t always my first response. But I’ve come to realize how essential it is to keeping things in perspective.

Nehemiah allowed the opposition to direct him to God. That itself may be the most significant first choice. Life will always include adversity...and the most significant choice we make... may be whether we place that adversity between us and God... and become angry.... or we allow the adversity to drive us to God. Through Nehemiah...God is teaching us that if we face some conflict or criticism... don’t just respond out of your own fleshly nature...bring it to him.