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TechnoratiYou 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. Continue »
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