FEAR AND FATIGUE. Nehemiah 4:10-12 If we are not careful, fear can cripple us as much as, or more than, the animosity of our enemies. No matter how prepared we may be for a crisis, the power of God is the ultimate factor in determining whether we win or lose in times of opposition or conflict, even in life itself. There is a continuing crisis of attitude toward life, God’s will, the work of God, and our response to the tensions that life brings.
Those delivered from discouragement and fear can move forward in faith and confidence that God is doing what He wants through us. The work will still be there and will be hard, but it will not be a problem for us, and the challenges we face will not terrify us. We may even grow so tired that we think we cannot go on until we realize that “if God be for us, who can be against us.”
The workers building the wall at Jerusalem grew so tired from carrying stones and clearing rubble that they were staggering and ready to fall. Added to that was the news that their enemies were united and spreading rumors that they were going to attack and kill them. The Jews who lived close to the enemies “ten times” repeated that warning, and the weary laborers were nearly defeated by their own fears and fatigue. Strangely, it was the men of Judah who were the pessimists, coming with complaints. They were the ones who would most benefit when the work was completed, so there had to be some underlying motive behind this deliberate act of deception. Not all opposition we face in the work of the Lord comes from those who look on as bystanders. Hidden agendas among some of God's people may catch a leader unaware if he is not close enough to those whom he leads to know what they are saying and what is going on behind the scenes. Some people do not want the work of God to progress because it will call for change in their lives and a greater commitment to spiritual things rather than to what is valued in dollars and cents.
It is normal to get tired when laboring in any kind of work. Weariness goes along with human weakness, which is not a serious problem if it is only physical. But our physiological and emotional strength or weakness can affect each other. "Tiredness in the work does not mean one is tired of the work." Outward pressures can foster discouragement if we focus on the problems rather than on the goal. "Much rubbish" that has to be removed can make it seem like we are wasting our efforts unless we keep the calling, the goal, and God's "strength for the day" in our minds. Not everyone engaged in a work has the same vision and commitment to it. Those who lead must know when to push ahead themselves and when to pray.
Any large, lengthy task is tiring. Time pressures, problems, and people can be discouraging, and the task often seems harder and longer than we expected. The way to rise above these negative forces is to remember that “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Take time to consider the privileges that are ours. We have been chosen by God and called to fulfill His work. He has a divine plan far bigger than we can see because of our limited humanity. We may not be able to see the “big picture,” but we can see enough to motivate us to “press forward and fear not.”
Moreover, as in the rebuilding of the walls to which Nehemiah was committed, the discontent of some undermined the confidence of others who came from outside the city daily to help build the wall. They were living near the enemies of God's people, and likely each day they went to work, they had to endure taunts and threats from those who openly opposed a strong city. Those who opposed from within attempted to undermine the work by repeating the challenge ten times and creating unease among everyone. This was an underhanded attempt to stop the work by getting people to quit.