How do you renew your team during opposition? (118-5)

Every leader will face opposition. This opposition might come in the form of ridicule, resistance, rumor or even a physical way. One of the great tests of leadership is how a leader handles opposition. Read Nehemiah 4:1-23.

Nehemiah has mobilized the people living in Jerusalem and the surrounding communities to rebuild the wall around the city of Jerusalem. With a wall in place around the city, Jerusalem would become a defensible city and potentially a regional political and military powerbase. Even though Judah and the surrounding nations were all subject to Persia, the favor of the king went to those cities most strategic to the wealth and defense of Persia. Up until now Jerusalem did not figure into that picture. The people in the surrounding territory were not eager to chance losing the favor of the king or dividing the wealth with Judah and Jerusalem.

In Chapter 4 Nehemiah’s leadership is challenged by the strong opposition of the non-Jewish people living in Judah who were displaced by the returning Jewish exiles. According to verse 1 the opposition was “angered and greatly incensed” that construction was starting on the wall. Their initial opposition came in the form of ridicule designed to discourage Nehemiah and his team i.e. “what are those feeble Jews doing?” and “if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones.” When the construction did not stop and the wall was built to half heights the threats became physical, “they plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah’s leadership response to the challenges models some leadership principles for handling external opposition:

• Christian leaders need to rely on God as their source of understanding and power. Nehemiah relied on God first and then his own ability (vv 4-5).
• Only a novas leader is foolish enough not to take the opposition seriously. Wise leaders respect the potential destructive force of outside opposition. According to 4:9 Nehemiah “prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet the threat.”
• Effective leaders look at their own team to see where the weak points are and take action to reinforce those weak points. In verse 13 Nehemiah “stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with swords, spears and bows.”
• Understanding leaders reassure their own team in their ability to overcome any opposition and help them understand what they are fighting for. In verse 14 Nehemiah says, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
• Never give up! Persist! Keep moving forward in the face of opposition! According to verse 15 “When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.”
• Effective leaders find a way to refresh and renew their team continually during the most difficult days. In verses 16-23 Nehemiah lead by example, temporarily expanded his workforce, gave helpers where most needed, and implemented a system to support team members who were in trouble by bringing other team members alongside during moments of special need.

Proverbs 21:29-31 A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways. There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.