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Tuesday, March 22, 2016

 

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me.

Truth told, words are indeed very hurtful. Few things have the potential to strike at our hearts like criticism. One would think, that when Nehemiah and the Jews began the reconstruction of the walls in Jerusalem, that the people would be happy. This was not the case; there were those whose very livelihood was threatened by the project. One in particular was a man named Sanballat.

 

The Bible tells us, that when Sanballat heard that Nehemiah and the people were rebuilding, he became angry and greatly incensed. He took to ridiculing them in the presence of his associates who also joined him in criticizing the work. Sanballat and his associates mocked the people personally by attacking their character, abilities, and their commitment. They also mocked the viability of the project by saying: “What are they building? Even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”

 

Imagine Nehemiah’s anger at that moment; all the sacrifices made to get to this point only to be publicly mocked and ridiculed. Had I been in Nehemiah’s shoes, my natural response would have been to focus my anger on my enemies.That however, would have been a mistake.Nehemiah decided to first respond by praying, then by remembering God’s faithfulness followed by the decision to create a new strategy.

 

Nehemiah’s Prayer

Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. – Nehemiah 4:4-6 NIV

 

By engaging in prayer, Nehemiah avoided the mistake many of us make when criticized; he did not allow the enemies of the vision to become his focal point. I do not know whether God actually answered Nehemiah’s prayer as it was quite an angry prayer in my opinion. However, Nehemiah was wise to bring his anger to God who by the way, can handle it. This was better than allowing his anger to refocus his attention away from the vision and on to his enemies.

 

Prayer puts criticism in its proper context. Prayer allows you to see things from God’s perspective rather than your critics perspective. Where critics remind you of your inabilities and limited knowledge, prayer reminds you of God’s limitless abilities, knowledge, and resources working in your favor. More importantly, prayer allows you to express all your emotions to God, allowing you to respond appropriately to those who criticize you.