Leadership Lessons From NehemiahSample

Day 6: Persevering Over Resistance 

Once Nehemiah gets his team in place and lays out his God-inspired, brilliant strategic plan, then the fun starts. He encounters serious resistance from neighboring communities during the wall’s construction.

Over the 52 days of rebuilding the wall, Nehemiah documents seven specific attempts from neighboring groups – including one group who sent the same message 5 times – to distract him and resist his God-inspired mission to restore Jerusalem. In each instance, Nehemiah ignores the resistance and keeps both himself and his team focused on the goal at hand.

While I don't know what vision God has placed on your heart, I do know that, if it's large, you will encounter resistance. That resistance will often come in the form of distractions. How you respond and persevere will determine whether or not you fulfill the ambition that God has placed on your life.

Even non-Christians often talk about this truth. For example, Steve Jobs famously said:

"I'm convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance."

While Nehemiah is a great example, this theme of persevering against resistance occurs throughout the Bible. We live in a fallen world. Therefore, as you try to fulfill God's vision for your life, you must persevere in the face of resistance. While the Scriptures offer plenty of examples, the Apostle Paul's experience illustrates this so clearly throughout his missionary journeys. 

The key is to remember that the strength to endure comes from our Lord. In today's readings, we will look beyond Nehemiah's perseverance to examine Paul’s experiences with the importance of perseverance and David’s words in the Psalms about the strength he receives in partnership with the Lord. As you face resistance and need to persevere, make sure you turn your attention to the Lord for strength.