And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
– Nehemiah 6:3
While Nehemiah was working hard to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, some of his enemies tried to get him to stop working to meet with them.
But Nehemiah stood firm. He told them he was in the middle of important work, and he couldn’t stop to come down to them.
As Christians, we are in the middle of important work. We are each called to spread the gospel, to be a light unto the world. But often the people around us will try to stop our work. It’s not just our enemies, either. Sometimes, it’s our own friends. They may suggest it’s not as important as what someone else is doing. They may say we’re too zealous or too focused. And we may be tempted to tone it down, to slow our efforts a bit. If it means keeping that friendship, keeping the peace, does it matter?
Yes, yes it does.
Because when we “come down” and stop the work we’re called to do, it not only hinders our testimony, it hurts our relationship with God. When we put something before the work God has called us to do, we are committing idolatry because we’re putting it before God.
Every decision we make boils down to one thing: are we choosing God or choosing the world?
Nehemiah chose God. Will you?
For more on the importance of sharing the Gospel, read my posts What Are You Fishing For? and Jesus’ Burden for the Lost. You can also read my post Jesus Wept. Why We Should, Too.
