When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it—though at that time I had not installed the doors in the gates— Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message: “Come, let’s meet together in the villages of the Ono Valley.” But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”
-Nehemiah 6:1-3 (HCSB)
When the Israelites returned to Jerusalem after being exiled in Babylon, they found the wall of their great city in shambles. Nehemiah, the Persian king’s cup bearer, immediately feels lead by God to do something about it when this news reaches his ears. Leaving his cushy job behind, Nehemiah decides it’s time to rebuild the wall.
Now one would think that there wouldn’t be any opposition to this idea. Without a wall, Jerusalem was defenseless and open to attack from outsiders. So rebuilding the wall is a no-brainer, right?
Nonetheless, some of the local elite who had benefited from the Israelites’ absence — Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem — felt threatened by Nehemiah’s arrival. So they resisted the plan for a new wall.
Unfortunately, not much has changed. Still today, when you get involved with what God is doing, other people will complain, grumble and oppose it. You can pretty much guarantee it, because some people are just haters. And haters gonna hate.
It’s important to realize that truth because when you are obedient to God, you will undoubtedly find yourself in that situation. You are doing something you sincerely believe God wants, yet there is still conflict. So you naturally begin to question things… Am I outside God’s will with this? Do I have it all wrong? Is this opposition a sign I should give up?
Sadly there is a twisted idea out there that if we do something for God, then it shouldn’t face any opposition. But let me ask this… Was the criticism Nehemiah faced a sign he was doing something God didn’t want? Apparently not. Like Nehemiah’s naysayers, some critics only have intent to harm.
The fact of the matter is when you are obedient to God’s calling, when you are wrapped up in his work, when progress is being made for God’s glory… Guess where Satan wants to be? Right in the middle of it. He loves to create problems where God is moving. And what is one of Satan’s favorite tools to accomplish just that? Haters.
So maybe conflict can be a sign that you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. And when the cynics start rearing their heads (and they will), we have two options. We can halt God’s work, come down to their level, and accomplish nothing. Or, we can have the perspective of Nehemiah, who simply silenced his skeptics by saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”
Who will you choose to listen to? Ultimately we only answer to God. So sometimes the critics must be ignored. Just because they’re the loudest, doesn’t mean they are the majority. They may just be haters.
And haters gonna hate.
