Can You Be A Leader Like Nehemiah?

​Nehemiah 6:1-4 - Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it,.... 2 then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together ...." But they were planning to harm me. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" 4 They sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way.  NASU 

• A Leader's Influence Will Be Attacked

If there is anything that a leader knows he knows there are people who will constantly try to bring his influence to a screeching halt. The only thing leaders don't know at first is who this will be. Will the attack come from a close associate, family member, or someone they hardly know?
 
What is a leader to do when confronted with this type of situation?
 
Leaders will follow in the footsteps of Nehemiah by refusing to associate with the wrong people.
 
If you are going to be a leader you need to realize there are certain people with whom you will not associate. "Bad company corrupts good morals," the apostle Paul said.
 
Nehemiah had three powerful enemies who were trying to get him to stop building the wall and meet with them. They wanted to kill him. Your enemies may not want to kill you but they would like to kill your influence.
 
Stop for a moment and think back over the last five to ten years of all the business, sports or political people who have lost their influence.

The cause of their loss of influence may have been they succumb to drugs, fraud, greed or sexual promiscuity. The wise leader will avoid people who would introduce them to these types of temptations and so should you.

• What Should You Do? 

The smartest thing we can do is learn to say, "NO."
 
Nehemiah said, "NO. I can't come down. I am doing a great work." He didn't say this just once he had to say it over and over again.

When your enemy attacks you better be prepared to fight more than one battle. You better be focused on your goal and your God.
 
There are going to be times in your life where you are either going to take a stand and say, "NO" or give in and live with the regret.
 
The choice is yours. 

• Reevaluate What You Are Doing 

Some times we lose focus on what it is we are trying to accomplish and this is what allows us to give into the invitations of others to get involved with behaviors that will only corrupt us and bring our influential leadership to a halt.

It has been said, "Trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair." Once again the choice is yours.

There is no doubt in my mind that the reason Nehemiah said, "NO" was he never lost focus of rebuilding the wall and his God. He was not interested in losing his reputation and the trust that he had built.
 
These meant more to him than any thing in his life at that time. By rebuilding the wall he was going to once again bring honor and glory to the city of Jerusalem, his people and his God.

Jerusalem, the city of David, was the city that God chose for the Israelites and he wanted it to be held in high esteem once again.
 
What is it that you need to reevaluate at this time?
 
What has been tempting you? 
 
What is it that you need to say, "No" too?

Are there some people with whom you should not be associating?
 
Think About This:
 
It is easier to judge people by what they fall for than by what they stand for.  

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

​Minister of God's Word