Christian Stress Management: How To Do Great Things for God: part 7

Respond Appropriately

When the enemies of Nehemiah and the Israelites tried to stop them from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah responded appropriately to their opposition by doing the following:

Confessing Trust in God

Nehemiah expressed his trust in God by telling his enemies that, "The God of heaven Himself will give us success and so we His servants, will arise and build." (Nehemiah 2:20)

Therefore if your enemies tell you that you are too inexperienced, unqualified, old or whatever to do what God has placed in your heart for you to do (Nehemiah 2:12) respond to them by telling them that God Himself will give you success.

Pray to God

Nehemiah prayed saying, "Listen O our God because we are despised and turn the reproach of our enemies on their own heads. Do not forgive their sins. " (Nehemiah 4:4-5)

Nehemiah also prayed when their enemies conspired to attack Jerusalem and create confusion. (Nehemiah 4:9)

Nehemiah also prayed when their enemies falsely accused them of building the walls so that they could rebel and even threatened to report them to the king. (Nehemiah 6:8) He discerned that the aim of the false accusations were designed to weaken their hands so that the rebuilding work would not be done and so he prayed for strength by saying, O God, strengthen my hands. (Nehemiah 6:9)

Nehemiah also prayed when Tobiah and Sanballat hired Shemaiah to falsely prophecy and lie to him that men were coming to kill him and advice him to go into the Temple to hide by saying, My God remember Tobiah and Sanballat because of their evils works and the prophetess Noadiah and all the other prophets who wanted to make me afraid. (Nehemiah 6:14)

Praying to ask God to remember the people who are causing problems in your life is a good way of dealing with them because by asking God to remember them, you can delete them from your mind and focus on doing what He has called you to do instead of focusing on them.

Nehemiah discerned that Shemaih had been sent by Tobiah and Sanballat and not by God to warn him of his supposed impending assassination. (Nehemiah 6:12) Therefore also pray for the spirit of discernment so that you can know how to receive the prophecies made by prophets as you do God's work.

Therefore if your enemies continue harassing you with problems as you try to do what God has called you to do, forward their harassment to God in prayer and ask Him to punish them for harassing you.

Be Watchful

Nehemiah and the Israelites set a day and night watch when their enemies conspired to attack Jerusalem and create confusion. (Nehemiah 4:9)

He positioned men to guard the vulnerable parts of their project which were the lower parts of the walls and where there were gaps. (Nehemiah 4:13)

Therefore be careful and vigilant so that you can catch any plan of the enemy before it destroys the things you are doing for God.

To do this you have to walk closely with God so that He can warn you of the enemies plans and tell you how to deal with it.

You also have to Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) over your project until you complete it.

Wear Your Spiritual Armor

Nehemiah arranged the people with their family members with their Swords, spears and bows. (Nehemiah 4:13)

He also ensured that Every builder worked on the wall while his sword was girded on his side. (Nehemiah 4:18)

The builders who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem had swords girded at their sides as they built. Nehemiah 4:17-18

Therefore as you work on what God has called you to do ensure that you are wearing your spiritual armor all the time. Learn to be in a state of readiness to fight back the enemies who do not want you to complete what God has called you to do.

Do not adopt a victim mentality of hoping and wishing that the enemy will stop attacking you. Instead, adopt a victor mentality of being ready to fight back and being sure that in all these attacks you are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ who loves you.

I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ who loves me Romans 8:37

Therefore, Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to continue standing. (Ephesians 6:13)

To wear your spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:14-17) do the following:

1. Helmet of Salvation - Get saved by saying with your mouth that "Jesus is Lord" and believing in your heart that when He died for our sins God raised him from the dead. (Romans 10:9)

2. Breastplate of righteousness - Do the right thing in the sight of God all the time.

3. Belt of truth - Speak the truth all the time.

4. Shoes of the Gospel - Read the Bible each day.

5. Shield of faith - Believe God and the Bible.

6. Spiritual Sword - Speak the Word of God over your situation.

Put on the whole armor of God so that you may stand in the evil day and having done all continue standing. Ephesians 6

Encourage Yourself

Nehemiah encouraged the Israelites by telling them, Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord your God, great and awesome and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses. (Nehemiah 4:14)

He also reminded them that, "Our God will fight for us." (Nehemiah 4:20)

Therefore if your enemies are trying to discourage you by harassing you with different types of problems, encourage yourself.

Encourage yourself even if you have no one to encourage you like David who Encourage himself in the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:6)

Encourage yourself by speaking fear-fighting Scriptures and reminding yourself of the greatness and awesomeness of God Who is with you and Who will fight for you.

David encouraged himself in the Lord 1 Samuel 30:6

Refuse Distractions

Nehemiah refused to be distracted from the work he was doing for God when his enemies Sanballat and Geshem invited him to meet them in the villages of Ono by saying, I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop when I leave it to come down to meet you? (Nehemiah 6:3)

Therefore if your enemies try to distract you so that you do not complete the work God has called you to do, remind them and yourself that you cannot meet them because you are doing a great work for God and you do not want it to stop.

Understand also that these distractions that waste the time you should have been spending doing God's work come in many forms. Therefore be on the lookout and avoid anything that removes your focus from the main thing that God has placed in your heart for you to do.

Speak Wisely

Nehemiah responded wisely when he and the Israelites were accused of rebuilding the walls so that they could rebel against the king by saying, None of the things you are saying are true. You have made them up in your own heart. (Nehemiah 6:8)

Refuse To Do The Wrong Thing

Nehemiah refused to do the wrong thing by going inside the Holy Place in the Temple to flee from people who he had been told were coming to kill him by saying, I will not go! (Nehemiah 6:11)

Therefore refuse to do the wrong thing in the sight of God regardless of the repercussions of not sinning.

Understand that it is very important not to sin against God because this was the last attack before Nehemiah and the Israelites completed rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.