The
Jews were trying to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. But the surrounding enemies
were trying to stop them. The enemies wanted to disrupt the work. They
requested a meeting with Nehemiah. They intended to kill him. But Nehemiah
replied to their invitation: "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot
come down." The enemies were persistent: four times the enemies sent
the invitations and four times Nehemiah gave them the same answer. Nehemiah
kept on building.
I
love what Nehemiah said: “I AM DOING A GREAT WORK! I CANNOT COME DOWN.”
If
you are doing a great work, you too do not want to be distracted. You will say
no to soccer, computer games, and Facebook, when you are preparing for a major
examination. The driver who focuses on the road has a far greater chance of
arriving at his destination accident free than the driver who focuses on sending
text messages on his phone.
What
can hinder us from growing spiritually and serving God fervently? Answer: The
World. The world poses a great distraction to many Christians: “He also that
received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of
this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh
unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).
We
cannot and we must not allow ourselves to get distracted from our sacred duty
of serving God. In the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:16-24), some who
were invited made excuses because they didn’t think it was a great event. They
considered what they were engaging in and busying themselves with were greater
work than attending the feast. They declined the invitation.
Is
the work of God a great work to you? Indeed, God’s work is the greatest work a
man can ever do. But, we also have a great adversary; his name is Devil (1Peter
5:8). We must understand that whenever we are doing the work for the Lord we
are going to face opposition. He is going to put a lot of distractions in front
of us to prevent us from serving God and from being the kind of Christian we
ought to be.
What
are the things that distract you from becoming a faithful and active Christian?
Is it your job? Perhaps, it is your hobbies? Maybe, it is an addiction. It
could be your loved one. When you date and fall in love with an unbeliever,
there is a high chance that you will become unfaithful. An unbelieving spouse
will hinder you from serving God.
When
we are fully convicted that the Christian work is a great work, we will refuse
all distractions. But, the devil is very persistent. Sanballat tried four times
to lure Nehemiah out from where he was working. Fortunately, Nehemiah stood
firm and said NO to him each time he called. But many aren’t like Nehemiah.
Samson caved in to Delilah’s deceit after the third time (Judges 16:4-20).
Perhaps, we can relate to this scenario:
‘Dad, can I have a cookie?’
‘No, I’m sorry. It is too close to dinner time.’
‘Just one cookie please?’
‘I’m afraid you’ll have to wait.’
‘Just a small cookie?’
‘OK, one cookie and that is it!’
The
child was persistent; the father wasn’t. Likewise, the devil is going to tempt
us until we say YES. While some of us buckle from the pressure of persistence,
Nehemiah remained unmoved by these multiple requests. How did he do it? It is
because he was fully convinced that what he was doing was a great work and must
not stop. Hence, unless we are fully convinced that serving God is the greatest
work we can ever do, we will be quick to give in to distractions—especially the
ones that persist.
Don't
let the Devil get you side-tracked with all of life's troubles, pleasures, and
hobbies. It is all right to enjoy life, but don't let that become an idol and
move you away from God. Nehemiah finished the wall because he was not
distracted; he didn’t come down.
Next
time, when someone asks you to do something else rather than attending worship
or doing God’s work, say to them: “I AM DOING A GREAT WORK; I CANNOT COME
DOWN.”
Jimmy Lau
Psa
119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
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