By Pastor Greg
A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her
nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack.
"Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a
holiday." Patty looks at the frog
in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, that
his dad is Mick Jagger, and that he knows the bank manager.
Patty
explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral. The frog says, "Sure. I have this,"
and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and
perfectly formed. Very confused, Patty
explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into
a back office.
She
finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there
who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as
collateral." She holds up the tiny
pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?" The bank manager looks back at her and
says..."It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old
man's a Rolling Stone."
I
always appreciate a good joke, especially when the story keeps us off
balance. We don’t know what to
expect. And trust me, I’ve not met anyone
who saw that punchline coming. It
blindsides you, hitting you square in the funny bone.
Unfortunately,
life does the same thing.
Too
often, life blindsides us. It hits us
square in the heart. It knocks us off
balance. For example, God places a burden
in your heart to get involved in the work
of the church. You make sacrifices, give
up your weekends, and pour your heart into some area of ministry within the
church. Then along comes some critic who
makes you want to give up and walk away.
Who expects this? You would think
that people would be thankful for our involvement. You would think the people of the church
would appreciate our sacrifice. Yet
their criticism blindsides us. We never
saw it coming.
How
do we keep from becoming discouraged when critics attack our work, our motives,
and even attack who we are as a person?
How do we remain steadfast in our service even though some want to see
us fail? How do we keep on serving in a godly way even though it seems many want to see
us quit? I think we can learn a valuable
lesson from Nehemiah on what it means to be a servant.
Nehemiah was called to be a
servant. The Lord gave him direction and
guidance. It appeared that God was with
Nehemiah, yet once he reaches Jerusalem, it didn’t take long for the critics to
show up. (Read Nehemiah 4:1-9)
The only thing Nehemiah wanted to do
was restore honor and glory to the home of his fathers. He had no selfish ambition or desire for
personal glory. Yet he continually endured criticism from a group of
people bent on destroying this work.
They criticized those working with Nehemiah (verse 2). They ridiculed their work (verse 3). They threatened them physically (verse
8). They tried to distract Nehemiah’s
leadership with pointless meetings (Nehemiah 6:2). And they spread lies about Nehemiah (Nehemiah
6:6-7). Yet in spite of all this
opposition, Nehemiah remained steadfast and immovable. But how was he able to stay focused and
undiscouraged while facing these attacks?
Where did he find the strength to continue serving?
When Nehemiah faced opposition, we
find him praying. When the antagonists
criticized the workers, Nehemiah responded with prayer and action. When there was a plot to attack the workers,
Nehemiah responded with prayer and action.
When the antagonist slandered Nehemiah, he denied their lies and prayed. When they planned
to discredit him, he refused to cooperate and he prayed. But above all else, Nehemiah knew he had
entered this ministry with the king’s blessing.
It was the king who saw the burden on Nehemiah’s heart, so the king sent
him to work with a blessing.
Critics
blindside us. We don’t expect them. We don’t see them coming. That’s because our heart and mind are focused
on the task the Lord has placed on our heart.
If, however, we knew to expect them, we might be better prepared for
their attacks – anticipating them so we are not knocked off balance. Yet, for some reason we simply don’t think
about an adversary when we begin serving.
I mean, when you began serving the Lord, did the thought of critics or enemies ever cross your mind? Yet they are real and will oppose us more
times than we can imagine.
So,
what keeps us serving? How do we stay
diligent and steadfast like Nehemiah did?
How do we keep from becoming discouraged? First, I would suggest you be prepared for
the criticism. Pray about it. Ask the Lord to strengthen you. And also
remember that you are the Lord’s servant. He has called you, and you are serving with
His blessing. I think this is why
Nehemiah asked for papers indicating that he had the king’s blessing (Nehemiah
2:7). It is the same with you and
me. God is the one who nudged our
heart. God is the one who placed the
need before us. God is the one who
provides what we need for our ministry.
We have merely surrendered to be
His servant. We serve with His
blessing. So, I think you and I need to
face the reality that criticism is
going to happen. It’s unfortunate, but
true. Why it happens is another story.
Why
do you suppose every other obstacle was removed for Nehemiah except these
critics? It’s because the critics and
the antagonist were pawns in the hands of Satan. He is the real adversary, and he will do
everything in his power to keep you from making a difference in this world. As we serve the Lord, Peter says we need to,
“Stay alert!
Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring
lion, looking for someone to devour.
Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith”[1]
(1 Peter 5:8-9). Paul encourages us to
stay alert as well. To keep Satan from
destroying our work, we must be familiar with his evil schemes (2 Corinthians
2:11).
If
it’s any consolation, you are not alone in your battle against the
critics. Many other Christians endure
the same thing. I know what it feels
like to have your motives called into question.
So please, when you suffer the
criticism of others, please remember whom you are serving. God – yes, God! – has called you to be His servant.
What you are doing in this world as His servant brings Him glory and
honor, even though you and I and many others seem to be under attack. In the end, “the God of all grace, who called you to His
eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and
establish you.
To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen”[2] (1
Peter 5:10-11).
No comments:
Post a Comment