Building Beyond Ridicule | Nehemiah 4:6

So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. — Nehemiah 4:6 SHOUT OUT: Shawn Lee from Here2There Ministries in St. Augustine, FL. Thank you for being a regular listener and sharing our books with other ministries. I pray this devotional will speak to you and the ministry you lead. So remember the context of this. Nehemiah and the Jews around Jerusalem were being ridiculed by the opposition surrounding them. Nehemiah prays for the people, and following, we discover this verse. Here, we see how the collective group responds, generating forward momentum. They engaged and advanced the mission, fueling passion for the mission. I hate to be over-simplistic here. But when we face ridicule for anything, the primary purpose of the ridicule is to divert us from our mission. Ridicule is a psyop aimed at confusing or distracting us from the mission. As Nehemiah has already done, the proper first response is to go to prayer, where we convene with God emotionally, mentally, and spiritually and get recentered on the justice and greatness of God. But when our mission is from God, the subsequent response is to get to work. We need to engage the mission and advance it. We see here simply by putting their heads down and doing the job, energy was diverted from thoughts of ridicule to thoughts of work. Gody grit advanced the mission, which fueled the passion (the minds, hearts, and souls) of all the people. So, let's make this even more practical. Men. When you are ridiculed because of your belief, faith, or character. Don't quit. Engage with integrity and advance steadily, showing that God's man is resolute, regardless of the resistance. This will strengthen your character, develop your faith, and inspire those around you to believe. Fathers. When your teenagers ridicule you for trying to be a spiritual leader. Don't quit. Put your head down and humbly and compassionately do the work. Push through the ridicule because, in about 10-20 years, your kids will cherish those awkward, cheesy moments that became formational moments of spiritual development. Ministry Leaders. When you are called to a mission but encounter all kinds of spiritual opposition. Don't quit. Stay on the mission, do the work, and find passionate people to work alongside you. If you stay with it long enough, you will see the disparate pieces come together and God's name rise up over the ridicule for all to see. When you are on a true mission from God, the response to ridicule is either quit or get grit. I hope you choose the latter. ASK THIS: Think of a time when you faced ridicule or opposition in your personal, professional, or spiritual life. How did you respond? Reflecting on Nehemiah's example, how might aligning your response with prayer and a steadfast commitment to your mission have altered the outcome or your perspective on the situation? As a leader or a member of a ministry, how can you apply the lessons from Nehemiah's story to effectively engage and inspire your team or community, especially when faced with ridicule or opposition? Discuss practical steps you can take to cultivate a culture of resilience, unity, and passionate commitment to your collective mission. DO THIS: Get grit for your mission. PRAY THIS: Father, grant me the strength and wisdom to stand firm in my faith and purpose, especially in the face of ridicule, and inspire me to engage passionately in Your mission, leading with integrity and resilience. May my actions reflect Your love and steadfastness, turning challenges into opportunities for growth and glorifying Your name. Amen. PLAY THIS: Follow You Anywhere. Check out other all Vince Miller's videos and audios for small groups at: https://beresolute.org/ Get Vince's most widely read resources The Daily Devotional at: https://beresolute.org/mdd Check out more ALL IN products like the one Vince is wearing at: https://beresolute.org/product-category/all-in-hats/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with Vince socially: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/millervince INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vinceleemiller LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincemiller TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vinceleemiller