Nehemiah, God's Project Manager - Dealing with the Doubters

No great task is not without its fair share of troubles. With troubles always comes the doubters. Now that this has happened we will never finish on time. What are you going to do about that, it changes everything? The only constant with the doubters is that their claims are often exaggerated as to their severity. How did Nehemiah handle the doubters that challenged his ability to complete his God-given task. Let's take a look.

In Nehemiah 4, verses 1-3, we see doubters mocking the work of Nehemiah in an effort to discourage him. We read, "But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall." You can almost see the mockery and sarcasm dripping off these venomous words. Now comes the lesson, how did Nehemiah respond?

First, in verses 4 & 5, he prayed. Nehemiah new his enemy went beyond the doubters. He had the wisdom to drill down to the root of the problem and provide the correct solution. It is not enough to with an air of gusto say - "Just ignore them." Find the root and address the problem with the correct solution. Here, the correct solution was to go back to the one who had commissioned the work in the heart of Nehemiah... God. There he would get all the resources he needed to continue the work. How do we know that, read verse 6, They continued to build the wall. Also, in verse 7, you see the group of doubters grows external tot the labor. NEVER internally does it grow. A doubter from a distance is harmless, a doubter in the ranks is destructive. Be mindful of where the doubts come from and deal with them accordingly. External doubts were prayed about and then left alone. Nehemiah didn't waste energy on hands that hadn't put themselves to the work, but only criticized from a distance.

Secondly, don't be afraid to change your approach if there is notable validity to the doubts. Criticism can be a tremendous tool when received correctly. As the enemies began to talk of coming to hinder the work, Nehemiah changes his approach and prepares his people for conflict that may never come. Seem wasteful? Showing concern for people's families, well-being, and overall condition only serves to strengthen teams. Nehemiah masterfully does this when he changes his approach to the wall in verses 13-14. We know this to be true because verse 15 tells us that the enemies backed off when they heard of the preparation of the Jews for any impending trouble their enemies might try.

Through these 2 simple, yet profound, approaches, Nehemiah teaches us how to handle the dissenters that inevitably come to the work of those who follow Christ. Hopefully, you will be spared the words of the doubters, but if not, follow the lessons of Nehemiah and you will quickly quiet the dissenters.