Change

Change

MY QUESTION for GOD

How do I implement change when it so often brings criticism?

A MOMENT with GOD

Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.”

Nehemiah 4:1-5

One of the primary tasks of a leader is initiating, implementing, and responding to change. But anyone who works for change must take criticism. If no one is mad at you, you’re probably not attempting to change anything of significance. Nehemiah models the way to respond when you are under fire for change. First, don’t believe everything your critics say. If Nehemiah had accepted that he and his coworkers were just a “bunch of poor, feeble Jews,” he would have grown disheartened. While it is important to be open to constructive criticism, it is equally important to shut out words that are meant to cut you down. Second, don’t retaliate. Seeking to get even with your critics lowers you to their level and distracts you from your mission. Do as Nehemiah did: lay the injustice before the Lord, leave vengeance to him, and continue to pursue the opportunities God gives you to encourage and strengthen his people through times of change.

DIVINE PROMISE

DON’T COPY THE BEHAVIOR AND CUSTOMS OF THIS WORLD, BUT LET GOD TRANSFORM YOU INTO A NEW PERSON BY CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK. THEN YOU WILL LEARN TO KNOW GOD’S WILL FOR YOU, WHICH IS GOOD AND PLEASING AND PERFECT.   Romans 12:2