You can’t have opportunity without opposition. One of the great tests of leadership is how you handle opposition. Do you panic under pressure? Do you get uptight, lose your temper, blow up, become discouraged, or give up? Part of the job description of leadership is dealing with people who oppose you and your vision for the church.
To find out how to handle opposition, we’re going to look at Nehemiah 4. You probably remember the story. Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall around the city – a very big project for his team of Jewish exiles! And it didn’t take long for Nehemiah to start getting opposition. People were ridiculing him and his vision.
Here’s what we can learn from Nehemiah:
1. Rely on God.
“Then I prayed, ‘Hear us, O our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in the presence of the builders’” (Neh. 4:4-5 NLT).
Nehemiah is upset. He’s letting off steam. When you’re being ridiculed, you don’t suppress it, you confess it. Nehemiah doesn’t get caught up in a name-calling game. Instead of calling names, he prays.
The greater the opposition, the more you need to pray. Don’t take it out on other people; talk it out with God. That’s what Nehemiah does.
2. Respect the opposition.
“But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves” (Neh. 4:9 NLT).
How do we know that Nehemiah respected the opposition? His people guarded the city and protected themselves. He was prayerful and practical. It’s fine to lay in bed at night and pray, “Protect me from the burglars.” But you also need to get up and lock your door! Petition without precaution is presumption.
3. Reinforce your weak points.
“So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows” (Neh. 4:13 NLT).
Nehemiah reinforces the weak points, the lower points. These low points left people vulnerable to attack from the enemy. You don’t have to worry about fences that are 10 feet high. An enemy couldn’t get through a wall like that. But the shorter walls were a different story, so Nehemiah placed guards there.
Do you know where your church is most vulnerable to attack? Good leaders know where they are vulnerable, and they reinforce that area.
4. Reallocate resources, but don’t stop what you’re doing.
“But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The officers stationed themselves behind the people of Judah” (Neh. 4:16 NLT).
When his people were attacked, Nehemiah had three alternatives: give up, leave the wall and go fight, or build the wall and arm everyone. Nehemiah knew he couldn’t give up building the wall and couldn’t leave the wall to fight. He really had only one option.
Leaders must build and battle at the same time. You never leave the wall to fight the enemy. You could spend all your time putting out fires and never complete what God has called you to do.
5. Reassure the people. Continue >>
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Here we need God’s wisdom. Prodriver is right, and I think the points of Mr. Warren are biblical.
Kenny, terriergal, Online4Him and akonda.. I do well understand your points of him, my self has some disappointment with his statement the way how he betrayed our Christian fellows in Syria.
As Jesus followers, we need to remember our Master of masters command:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don't do what they say. They tie up burdens that are heavy and unbearable and lay them on people's shoulders, but they refuse to lift a finger to remove them. "They do all their actions to be seen by people. They increase the size of their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love to have the places of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, to be greeted in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by people. Mat 23:1-7
So, let take and do Mr. Warren’s words - when it come out from the Bible - BUT don’t follow what he does.
Peace upon you all!
this is again a very good article, then of course you can missunderstand if you want to.
He says: "When you’re facing opposition, it’s your job as the leader to help your people “remember the Lord."" So he does not talk about religious rights and wrongs, but a church in battle with the world. Then people don´t "argue" about the rights and wrongs of belief, but belief itself.
Rick says: don´t focus the enemy, focus God and the Job he called us to do.
100% right.
You my friends only think he talks about you ("what if the leadership is wrong and opposition is justified?") critizising him - but thats not what he is talking about. Christians always have to check there aims according to the word of God, but this is not the point, especially not your blames.
Nehemia knew what he was called to do - nothing to talk about. Only this is what he referrs to, and only this is what needs to be commented here.
Your point is true, but another view on the same topic.
In Luke 6, Jesus says that we are blessed when men reject us because that's how their fathers treated the false prophets. Verse 26 goes as far as to say, But woe unto you when all men speak well of you, because that's how their fathers treated the false prophets. Unless you're Biblically grounded, you will LOVE Rick Warren. He's nice, he's funny, and he'll never say anything offensive. On the other hand, he supports gathering together with unbelievers for the common good which is a direct violation of 2nd Corinthians 6:14. He's a people pleaser, which is spoken against in Galatians 1:10. He relies on the wisdom of men rather than the Word of God, which is spoken against in Jeremiah 17:5-10 and 1st Corinthians 1:17-31.
I don't care who you are or what you think... your heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. (Jeremiah 17:9) The Word of God is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) The Word of God speaks against nearly everything Rick Warren says and does. He's a false teacher. A wolf in sheep's clothing.
RICK shows his true 'pastor is master' colors again. No teaching on how to discern legitimate opposition or how to make yourself accountable, and of course, Rick thinks his model for the church is scriptural when it's just a secular model.
This is a wonderful article, Thanks Rick....
akonda,
"what if the leadership is wrong and opposition is justified?"
Well said!
If this is the case; then we are to follow this example in Acts 5:29 - Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
what if the leadership is wrong and opposition is justified? shouldnt this be the first question a leader needs to ask himself?