By the time we get to chapter 4 of his book, Nehemiah has quite a bit of momentum mustered. The wall is going up steadily and Nehemiah’s forces are attracting more than their share of jealous hearts. Some neighboring cities & tribes, for motives known only to them, begin taking shots at Jerusalem… and more specifically, at Nehemiah in particular.
- “What are those feeble Jews doing?” (vs. 2) — Translation: Yikes, they’re making us look bad.
- “Will they finish in a day?” (vs. 2) — Sarcastic way of trying to conceal their jealousy for Nehemiah’s efficiency.
- “What are they building? If even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!” (vs. 3) — Sarcasm for: whoa… it looks strong.
- It was one thing for the neighbors to talk. But Nehemiah also heard whiners from within:
- “Our strength is giving out.” (vs. 10) — Translation: “This is boring. I’d like a more glamorous job please.”
- “There is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild.” (vs. 10) Translation: “I’m overwhelmed by the immensity of this task.”
- “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” (vs. 12) Translation: “Lions and tigers and bears — Oh my!” (“We’re scared! Of what? we don’t know; nobody’s actually fired a shot yet; but this has got to be dangerous to someone; might as well be us.”)
But the thing is, Nehemiah didn’t quit. He rallied the troops with visionary speeches. He worked with advisors to create credible defensive strategies. And he kept himself pumped up with prayer to the Father. He kept his eyes focused on a positive outcome, refusing to give way to those seeking to undermine the campaign, both from within and without.
You know… sometimes that’s what leaders do. I remember a board member asking me once, after I had taken a fairly long field assignment away from the office (7 months, to be exact), “Doug, did it not occur to you that, in your absence, there would be problems?” I replied with what I thought were tenable solutions at the time. I had replaced myself with what I thought were two highly experienced men. It was a productive time in our organization’s history. And when I left, everything was in good order. However, within a few short months, those same leaders were reported to have been advising recruits not to risk affiliating with our own organization. They apparently were telling would-be missionaries, “This organization probably won’t even be around come first of the year.” “Better find another way; this one is doomed to fail.”
Thanks to the Lord’s strength, the rumors of our demise were a bit exaggerated. In fact, some 20 years have elapsed since those words were spoken. But it was true, by the time I returned to lead at the office, the mood was pretty gloomy. The board member continued, “Doug, it seems your biggest downfall has been your own inability to see what you bring to the table. You might not be the sharpest, maybe you’re not always the best, and maybe there are situations you just don’t catch.” (I was thinking — this is supposed to encourage me? 🙂 ) “But what you *do* bring to the table is a firm belief that things are going to turn out okay. And when others believe you and your words, well, things start working out. Your positive faith is one of your greatest assets.”
So I’ve never forgotten those words. Sometimes, when things are getting tough, I just say to myself, “One more breath; one more day. We can do this.” And before I know it, we’ve gotten through another day. We’ve taken another breath.
Now I realize why not everyone decides to be a Chief Executive Officer of a non-profit. Sometimes it takes *energy* to forge on. Belief. Positive faith… the same kind held by Nehemiah in chapter 4.
So, if you truly believe your project is of God, don’t give up. Nehemiah didn’t; and neither should you.
(Note: This article first appeared in Brigada Today as a “BackPage” editorial, visible at: