Navigating Anger & Confronting Injustice | Nehemiah 5:6-7

I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. — Nehemiah 5:6-7 CALL OUT: Nick Meester & Ed Reis of Nuance Tax and Financial. They have faithfully served me for ten years. I am eternally grateful for all you have done. Today's scripture is an excellent lesson in how to respond to injustice perpetrated by another believer. When Nehemiah heard the reports of what the Jewish elite were doing, his initial reaction was one of anger, even intense anger. I like that the text reveals Nehemiah's emotion because sometimes we think that believers, and even great spiritual leaders, should never experience feelings of anger. But we should sometimes. We should feel angered, but we should also know how to restrain and redirect it without repressing or rejecting it. For a believer, anger is a godly response to injustice. It signals that something is wrong and needs to be exposed, corrected, or resolved. However, many believers fail to restrain and redirect their anger because they don't know their unique manifestation. For example, can you tell me: How you usually express feelings of anger? What injustices most trigger these feelings of anger? When is your temperament most susceptible to being angered? A mature believer will know the answer to these three questions because they learned the answers the hard way. By expressing them wrongly. By being surprised by a triggering injustice. By letting their guard down when they were weakest. It's good preliminary work to know the answers to these questions. And to know them well enough that when a feeling of anger arises, whether slowly or quickly, you will see it rising up in you and are ready for a counter-response. Because a spiritual leader must learn how to lead themselves before they lead others. This is what Nehemiah knows how to do. The text says, "[he] took counsel with [himself]." Therefore, even though intensely angered at the injustice, he caught himself and measured his response. He was not reactive. Instead, he took time to "ponder" or "measure" and even "master" his feelings of anger. His anger was justified, but a rash response would bring justification. He was wise enough to understand that a rash response could unhinge the entire building project since he needed the support of the offending Jewish leaders to complete the wall. But this didn't mean he was going to put up with their elitism and the oppression of the people. There is also a great lesson here for spiritual leaders who feel pressured by those with status, influence, and money. Sometimes, we will be called to confront injustices by those with status, influence, and money. Maybe even ones that back the mission we are trying to accomplish. Some leaders will cave to the pressure. They will dismiss the injustices done by a supplier, an investor, or even a donor to retain the resources needed for the mission. They, therefore, put their trust in man and his provision rather than trusting in God and his provision while simultaneously allowing injustice to reign. They sell out for the benefits of status, influence, and money and, therefore, become a slave to the man with those things. In my humble opinion, Nehemiah measures all this. But it was his feelings of anger that brought him to the only possible resolution—confront the elitism and injustice even if it hijacked the whole project. Therefore, he "brought charges against the nobles and the officials." And tomorrow, we will see how they respond. So, you have a couple of items you could address today. First, it may be time to assess your unique expression of anger. If so, spend a few minutes on the three questions above. Get to know your responses. Second, if you are presently dealing with some injustice that has angered you, it's time to measure a godly response. But as you consider a godly response, ensure you are not compromising or choosing a path of least resistance. Decide to act in a way that trusts in righteous and just action and puts all your trust in the sovereignty and mission of God, not your ideas about God's plan. ASK THIS: Reflect on a recent situation where you felt angered. Journal out the three questions above and identify your unique response. How might Nehemiah’s example guide you to handle similar situations in the future? Nehemiah confronted the injustice he witnessed despite the risk to his project and his relationships with influential leaders. Discuss a time when you faced a similar challenge. How did you balance the need to address injustice with the practical considerations of your mission or role? How does trusting in God's provision influence your approach to such situations? DO THIS: Answer the three questions or confront an injustice.