One of my favorite movies is "Finding Nemo." I especially like the scene, if you haven't seen it, where little Nemo is telling all the fish in the net to "keep swimming." He knows if they keep swimming in the same direction, they will eventually free themselves from the net (as opposed to finding themselves stuffed with crab meat on somebody's dinner table).
In Nehemiah 4, the Jews were rebuilding the temple and encountered opposition. A guy named Sanballat was angry (possibly because his parents had given him such a ridiculous name, but that is another story), and he began to ridicule the Jews, in front of the army of Samaria. "Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble--burned as they are?"
He was referring to the temple that had been destroyed when the Jewish nation had been unfaithful to God and He had allowed their enemies to defeat them and take them into captivity. But, as I read it, I thought of an interesting analogy...burnout.
I work with pastors and other Kingdom workers in positions of leadership, who are experiencing burnout. Their "temple" has been subject to invading armies, the temptations, hardships, and trials of this world; and they have felt defeated, nearly destroyed, and as though they have little control over their own situations. They may not be publicly ridiculed, but they know the self-criticism, as well as the many who are talking behind their backs, finding fault with them for their "failed" leadership.
The Jews, under the leadership of Nehemiah, did two things--they prayed and armed themselves! The Scriptures tell us, "We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat." They didn't quit and go back to Susa. They continued the work they were doing. All the while, Nehemiah was telling them, "Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight." He went on to tell them, "Our God will fight for us!"
The opposition? Well, they didn't back off. I wish I could tell you they did, but they didn't. It only got worse. You might want to read the rest of the story for yourself. The point is, however, we need to just keep fighting. We need to pray, arm ourselves, equip ourselves to continue to fight; for our God will fight for us! And, one day, we will be free of this opposition.
One day, we too shall proclaim, "Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, free at last."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Godspeed, Phil
In Nehemiah 4, the Jews were rebuilding the temple and encountered opposition. A guy named Sanballat was angry (possibly because his parents had given him such a ridiculous name, but that is another story), and he began to ridicule the Jews, in front of the army of Samaria. "Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble--burned as they are?"
He was referring to the temple that had been destroyed when the Jewish nation had been unfaithful to God and He had allowed their enemies to defeat them and take them into captivity. But, as I read it, I thought of an interesting analogy...burnout.
I work with pastors and other Kingdom workers in positions of leadership, who are experiencing burnout. Their "temple" has been subject to invading armies, the temptations, hardships, and trials of this world; and they have felt defeated, nearly destroyed, and as though they have little control over their own situations. They may not be publicly ridiculed, but they know the self-criticism, as well as the many who are talking behind their backs, finding fault with them for their "failed" leadership.
The Jews, under the leadership of Nehemiah, did two things--they prayed and armed themselves! The Scriptures tell us, "We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat." They didn't quit and go back to Susa. They continued the work they were doing. All the while, Nehemiah was telling them, "Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight." He went on to tell them, "Our God will fight for us!"
The opposition? Well, they didn't back off. I wish I could tell you they did, but they didn't. It only got worse. You might want to read the rest of the story for yourself. The point is, however, we need to just keep fighting. We need to pray, arm ourselves, equip ourselves to continue to fight; for our God will fight for us! And, one day, we will be free of this opposition.
One day, we too shall proclaim, "Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, free at last."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Godspeed, Phil
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