Don't stop building by Susan Barnes
"I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down". Nehemiah 6:3
It is interesting to note the different reactions people had as they watched Nehemiah obey God and rebuild the walls around Jerusalem . Nehemiah 4:2 tells us that Sanballat was "angry"; 4:7 tells us some were "very angry" and 6:16 tells us some "were afraid". As we continue our Christian walk we may also find that we have this effect on people.
Some people will be angry with us. Just the way we live our lives is a challenge to them. Others will be very angry because they may have to change their ideas or behaviour in order to cope with us. Others will be afraid because they know God wants to do something similar in their lives.
Nehemiah was completing the physical job of building a wall when these people reacted this way. For us it may seem that we are not doing anything, yet we are getting the same reactions. The reason is, if we are living our lives the way God intends, we are building. We are building up our faith (Jude v.20). We are building each other up (Ephesians 4:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:11) and overall the Body of Christ is being built up (Ephesians 4:12, 16).
So if people are upset with us, like they were with Nehemiah, let's continue building and remember his words. I'm doing a good work and will not be interrupted.
Susan, an Australian pastor's wife, loves to enrich people's understanding of God. She writes devotional thoughts on Bible passages and inspirational articles on her blog. Contact
