When the work is hard we sometimes welcome interruptions. They offer a well-deserved rest. Like when you are out of breath hiking up a steep hill and you notice your shoe is untied. Or when are digging another fence post hole in rocky ground and your neighbor brings over some cold lemonade. Or when you have been in the kitchen all afternoon peeling potatoes and your mom calls to chat on the phone.
How we view these interruptions depends on our priorities. If comfort is the priority then the interruption is a good opportunity to take a break. But if getting the job done is the priority then the interruption just gets in the way. If you are trying to get a personal best time hiking up that hill then you don’t want to see your shoe untied. If you are in a hurry to finish the fence before dark then you aren’t excited about the neighbor bringing lemonade. If it is Friday afternoon and you are trying to finish the potato salad for tomorrows potluck then you don’t have time to take that phone call. There is a work that needs done.
Nehemiah had many opportunities to stop working. One day, as he was working on the wall, he was interrupted by messengers from neighboring nations who wanted to talk to him (6:2). He said, “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”(6:3). They were persistent and called him down 4 times. But he was determined and responded the same way each time (6:4). That was not very neighborly of Nehemiah. Nehemiah does not show us an example of how to make friends. He shows an example being so committed to God’s story that he would not allow anything to stop the work.
God’s story doesn’t follow the path of least resistance. There will be obstacles, distractions, interruptions, ridicule, threats, exhaustion, moral failures, betrayal and deception. But why should the work stop?
God’s story is worth overcoming any obstacle!
CAUTION: The sentence above could be dangerously misunderstood! Here is a fine line between an important truth and a dangerous error. If we focus on the last part of the sentence, “overcoming any obstacle” we might feel the need to be tough and stubborn and end up focusing on self. If we focus on the first part of the sentence, “God’s story is worth”, it is about how great God is and how much we desire Him.
These motivations can appear similar but they are two very different things. Hitler refused quit. That was about ego. Nehemiah refused quit. That was about God’s glory.
When our commitment to God’s story is about self it becomes an exercise of our will power motivated by our stubbornness to not give up. When it is about God we are driven by a hunger that will not allow us to stop because God’s story is too good to miss out on. It’s not about gritting our teeth and being tough but about desiring God so much that we will not let the work stop.
The Israelites didn’t step into the flooded Jordan River because they were tough but because there was a promised land on the other side. The three Hebrews didn’t refuse to bow to the idol because they were stubborn but because faithfulness to God was worth a fiery furnace. David didn’t fight the giant to avoid being seen as a coward but because Goliath defied the armies of the living God. Daniel didn’t open his window and pray because he was worried about what his buddies back in Jerusalem would think of him but because he needed to be with God. Jesus didn’t hang on a cross because he was too proud to quit but for the joy set before him. We don’t have something to prove. We have something to pursue. If we make our determination about us it is not sustainable but God’s story it is worth overcoming any obstacle.
Why should the work stop because somebody doesn’t like it?
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem he gave letters from the king to all the local governors. When a couple of them heard of his intentions “it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel” (2:10). They despised Nehemiah (2:19) but he didn’t let the work stop (3:1). We like when people like us and when they approve of what we do. But when we join God’s story somebody isn’t going to like it. But why should the work stop? God’s story is worth overcoming any obstacle.
Why should the work stop because of ridicule?
Nehemiah faced the kind of ridicule that was expressed in anger, jeering, questioning, and mockery (4:1-3). We struggle enough to do hard things due to our own excuses. Add to that the critical talk of those around us and our chances of sticking with it diminish. It is hard enough to run a marathon when the crowd is cheering you on and when volunteers are passing out Gatorade and snacks. But imagine if crowd starts yelling things like, “You’ll never make it!”, or, “You’re doing terrible!”. Imagine the volunteers dump out all the water and start throwing trash at you.
Ridicule makes us want to quit. But notice what Nehemiah does. He prays (4:4-5). It’s not a very nice prayer. He asks God to “turn their taunts on their own heads”. He didn’t talk to the people ridiculing him, he talked to God. It is a whole lot better to talk to God in a not-very-nice prayer than to lash out at our enemies in not-very-nice actions. Retaliation would have caused the work to stop. Praying kept him in God’s story and the work continued(4:6).
Why should the work stop? God’s story is worth overcoming any obstacle.
Why should the work stop because of threats?
The continued work made the opposition even more angry(4:7) and they plotted together to fight against Jerusalem(4:8), even threatening their lives(4:11). Have you ever had people plot together against you? That crosses a line. It moves from negative thoughts about you to organized action against you. Nehemiah responded in the same way as before, he prayed. And he did somethings else, he stationed a guard(4:9). He allowed the obstacle to adjust his plans but not to change his purpose.
Why should the work stop? God’s story is worth overcoming any obstacle.
Eventually Nehemiah faced a different kind of obstacle. The ridicule and the threats were from the outside but then came a whole set of obstacles from within.
Why should the work stop because of exhaustion and discouragement?
In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” (4:10).
Do you hear the fatigue in those words? When you are encouraged and full of energy you can handle the obstacles that come your way but what do you do when all that runs out? Nehemiah could ignore the obstacles that came from the outside but he actually had to take action to overcome the obstacles from within. He gave a motivational speech (4:14), he developed a defense plan (4:13-18), and he arranged for the people to gather together for strength (4:19-20). There was still exhaustion and discouragement among them but they pulled together as a community to continue the work (4:21-23). God’s story thrives in an environment of unity and cooperation. And they worked with such a focus that they didn’t even take off their clothes or their weapons (4:23). This is not a lesson in personal hygiene but another example of dedication to a work that is too important to stop.
Why should the work stop? God’s story is worth overcoming any obstacle.
Why should the work stop because of moral failure?
The people started treating each other wrong. There was selfishness and injustice among them (5:1-5). There are times when we feel spiritually strong and we earnestly pursue God’s story. But then we sin. And we slip away from God’s story because we feel unqualified to participate in it. Nehemiah was not going to let this happen. He rebuked the officials and called them to change (5:6-13). Don’t let the current temptation to sin or the guilt of past sin take you out of God’s story. Repentance is part of God’s story. We need to turn away from sin rather than quitting the spiritual war because we took a hard hit.
Why should the work stop? God’s story is worth overcoming any obstacle.
Why should the work stop because of deception and betrayal?
The wall was nearly complete(6:15) when the enemies of Jerusalem made a final attempt to stop the work. They hired a Jew to deceive and betray Nehemiah(6:10-14). He saw through it and did not fall into their trap. But the truth is, it hurts worse when it comes from a friend. It provides an easy exit from God’s story because we can point at them the whole way out.
But why should the work stop? God’s story is worth overcoming any obstacle.
The examples of Nehemiah overcoming obstacles strip us of the excuses that keep us on the sidelines of God’s story. We allow such little things to get us off track. We take large amounts of recovery time to lick our wounds. Listen to the reasoning those who were once engaged God’s story and no longer are. You will hear about the obstacles that took them out. They were mistreated by someone in the church. They were ridiculed for an idea they had or threatened by someone who didn’t want then to have influence in the church. They will tell you of being exhausted, overworked and unappreciated. They will tell you of a moral failure they had. And instead of repenting they chose to separate themselves from God’s story. They will tell you of a time they were deceived or betrayed by a church person. It was an ugly experience. So they left. And felt justified in doing it. And that is why they are no longer living in God’s story. They let the work stop. This happened because we don’t believe that God’s story is worth overcoming any obstacle. When we choose God’s story we will have endless reasons to quit. But if we see the value of living in God’s story our response to every obstacle will be, “Why should the work stop?”.
What is it that is taking you out? Be honest with yourself. What is it that is holding you back from God’s story and making you feel justified to sit on the sidelines? Remind yourself in faith that no matter how real your reason is to quit it’s not worth wasting your life apart from God’s story. God is inviting you into His story! He has a great work for you that will fuel you with life and purpose like nothing else can.
Why should the work stop? God’s story is worth overcoming any obstacle.
Let’s make this a conversation…
How do you understand the critical distinction between a God-focus and a self-focus in our commitments to God’s story?
Of the obstacles that Nehemiah faced which has been the most difficult in your personal experience? How have you responded to these obstacles? How might you respond differently in order to stay engaged in God’s story?
What are the consequences of allowing God’s work to stop in your life? In your church?
What perspective needs to change in you in order for you to be more committed to God’s story?