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“Happy is the person who honors the Lord . . . He gives generously to the needy, and his kindness never fails; he will be . . . respected.” Psalm 112:1, 9 (GNT) What does God promise to those who do everything in life with humility and generosity? They will be respected. The Bible says, “Happy is the person who honors the Lord . . . He gives generously to the needy, and his kindness never fails; he will be . . . respected” (Psalm 112:1, 9 GNT). Nehemiah lived a life of generosity and humility—and he was respected because of it. Nehemiah 5 records Nehemiah’s personal testimony of humility: “During all the twelve years that I was governor of the land of Judah . . . neither my relatives nor I ate the food I was entitled to have as governor. Every governor who had been in office before me had been a burden to the people and had demanded forty silver coins a day for food and wine. Even their servants had oppressed the people. But I acted differently, because I honored God” (Nehemiah 5:14-15...

Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways.’” Haggai 1:5 (NIV) After you’ve gone through a challenging season, you’ll eventually be ready to resume life again. But as you do, you should keep a few principles in mind. You should expect to feel mixed emotions and also take time to extract the lessons you’ve learned from the hard time. And here’s another thing you should do: Evaluate everything. Because hardship changes people. You’re not the same person after a trauma that you were before. Instead of returning to the same old patterns, behaviors, and habits, God wants to give you an opportunity to reset your life. There are likely some things you were doing before the hard times that you shouldn’t start up again. As the ancient Jews resumed “normal life’ after being in captivity, the prophet Haggai had a message for them: “Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but...

“Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already—you can see it now!” Isaiah 43:18-19 (GNT) You can’t go backward in life. You can only go forward. That means you have only two choices: You can long for the way things used to be, and not change a single thing about today, or you can trust in God to do something new. The Bible says, “His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV). God is a God of newness. He doesn’t do the same old things all the time. And so, to live a better life, you need to cooperate with the new things God wants to do in your family, in your career, in your friendships, in his church, and in the world around you. But people aren’t always interested in the new things God is doing. Sometimes you’ll dream about the past and say, “I wish I lived during that era,” or “I wish I could go back to that period of my life.” But wishing for the pa...

At the time I have decided, my words will come true. You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time, but keep on waiting—it will happen!” Habakkuk 2:3 (CEV) What does it mean to engage slowly after a tough season? It means you shouldn’t be in a hurry. Go slowly. Just because you have the freedom to do something doesn’t mean you should be in a rush to restart it all. When you are tempted to hurry back into life, here are two things to remember: 1. God is never in a hurry. There isn’t a single example in Scripture of Jesus running anywhere. When his friend Lazarus was dying, for example, Jesus was only a half day’s walk away. But it took Jesus three days to get to Lazarus. And when he got there, Lazarus was already dead. Why? Jesus knew that God was in charge and that he had a better plan—one that didn’t require Jesus to hurry. 2. God’s timing is perfect. When you get impatient during difficult days and want to speed things along, you need to trust that God knows wha...

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) If you want to create change in your home, school, work, or relationships, the way you talk to others will make all the difference in the world. When Nehemiah left his position as cupbearer and traveled to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls, he knew he needed to identify with the people there. If he was going to get them on board with his plans, he needed to talk like an insider, not an outsider. The Bible says, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace” (Nehemiah 2:17 NIV). Notice Nehemiah said “us,” not “I.” He said “we,” not “me.” What was he doing with his words? He was building community. When great leaders have a dream, they build a team. That’s what leadership...

Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he’s in trouble. And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 (TLB) God never meant for you to go through life isolated, trying to do everything by yourself. Success happens when you work alongside others. One reason Nehemiah succeeded in rebuilding Jerusalem is because he broke the work down into manageable tasks among many different people. In Nehemiah 3, it talks about 18 teams helped to make repairs. Nehemiah wanted the people to understand something. He gave them a pep talk that went something like this: “If you get tired and discouraged, just look to your left and look to your right, and you’ll see people working next to you. You’ll realize you’re not alone. You’re part of a te...

James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers.” Galatians 2:9 (NLT) Not everyone will want to be part of your God-given plans. In other words, focus on those who want to help you. That was Jesus’ strategy. He loved everyone; he fed the 5,000 and preached to the crowd. But he only trained 70, discipled 12, and mentored three. His focus grew stronger with fewer people. The three people Jesus mentored Peter, James, and John. Only Peter, James, and John went up on the Mount of Transfiguration. Only Peter, James, and John were brought into the Garden of Gethsemane “a little farther” (Matthew 26:39 NIV) to pray with Jesus. And only Peter, James, and John witnessed Peter’s mother-in-law being healed. Was Jesus playing favorites? Yes. He was investing the maximum amount of time with those who would bear the maximum responsibility. And his strategy worked. Later in the Bible—in the boo...

I never stop giving thanks for you as I mention you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:16 (ISV) There is no complicated secret to working well with others. You just have to learn to appreciate them! How do you appreciate them? It’s simple. First, you practice recognizing someone’s value and contribution. Then, you make a habit of telling them, “Thank you.” Nehemiah demonstrates four practical ways to show appreciation for others: Recognize individuals by name. When you thank the people in your life who are making a difference, don’t just say, “You all are doing a great job. Thanks!” Get specific, like Nehemiah did. He singled out 71 people for special appreciation and called each one by name. Recognize specific work. People feel appreciated when you point out the details of their work. Simply telling them they did a good job isn’t enough. It’s better to say, “I’m proud of you for doing this specific thing.” Nehemiah recognized the detailed work of the people. He said, “The Old City Gate was...

There is a real opportunity here for great and worthwhile work, even though there are many opponents.” 1 Corinthians 16:9 (GNT) One of the greatest tests of character is how you handle opposition. In fact, opposition is part of God’s will for your life; it prepares you for the opportunities ahead. The Bible says, “There is a real opportunity here for great and worthwhile work, even though there are many opponents” (1 Corinthians 16:9 GNT). If you’re going to make something of your life, not everyone is going to like it. You’re always going to find people who feel it’s their job to criticize every dream or project God puts on your heart. Their favorite word is “no,” and their favorite phrase is, “You can’t do that.” One tactic people use to try to stop you from doing God’s will is ridicule. Nehemiah 4 shows three ways people might use ridicule to oppose you. People will attack your character and identity. In Nehemiah 4:1-2, one of Nehemiah’s critics, Sanballat, heard the wall was being ...

“Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others.” 2 Timothy 3:12 (CEV) Life is full of God-given opportunities. But with every opportunity, there will be opposition—especially in today’s increasingly divided culture. The Bible confirms it: “In fact, anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others” (2 Timothy 3:12 CEV). How do you respond to this kind of criticism? Tell God how you really feel. When people put you down for doing great things, don’t get back at them. Instead, talk to God—and be honest with him. Don’t hide your hurt. Tell God exactly what you’re feeling. Prayer is a great stress reliever when you feel ridiculed and under attack. Nehemiah’s habit was to always pray first. “Then I prayed, ‘Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! Do not ignore their guilt . . . for they have provoke...

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV) When people criticize you for living a life that is pleasing to God, remember: You have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. The Bible says, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12 NIV). Focusing on eternity is the antidote to insult and ridicule. Because the opinions of others won’t last. Their disapproval won’t last. Yes, you can listen to their opinions, but don’t overvalue what they say. The only thing that will last is God’s church. Only God’s family will be in heaven forever. That’s why you don’t want to waste your life worrying about what people say about you. Instead, God wants you to spend your days doing the things that plea...

Come, Lord, and show me your mercy, for I am helpless, overwhelmed, in deep distress.” Psalm 25:16 (TLB) Have you noticed how discouragement sets in at the midpoint of almost anything you do? It’s true in parenting, marriage, school, and in your career. But God has called you to finish the race he has prepared for you—and to finish it well. When God put it on Nehemiah’s heart to rebuild Jerusalem after the Israelites’ returned from captivity, they began the work of rebuilding the city’s walls. But when “the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city” (Nehemiah 4:6 NLT), the people became discouraged. The story of Nehemiah describes four common reasons people get discouraged. Today we’ll look at the first two. The first cause of discouragement is fatigue. Nehemiah 4:10 says, “Then the people of Judah began to complain, ‘The workers are getting tired’” (NLT). Rebuilding anything, of course, is exhausting. They had worked hard on the first half of the project, but they s...

“Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious.” Nehemiah 4:14 (NLT) How do you defeat discouragement in your life? By following Nehemiah’s example. In Nehemiah 4, you’ll find three things you can do to resist discouragement. Reinforce weak areas. Make an honest assessment of where you are most spiritually vulnerable. Are you most vulnerable to anger, lust, pride, or something else? What are your weak areas? When Nehemiah heard that his enemies wanted to attack the Jews who were helping to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem, he “stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. [He] stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows” (Nehemiah 4:13 CSB). Nehemiah did his homework. He knew where the city’s most vulnerable spots were, and he developed a plan. Maybe an area in your life needs some reinforcement. To resist discouragement, you’ll need to reorganize and reorder a few things. Don’t give up in your weak areas....

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20:8 (NLT) Many people don’t see the value in getting enough rest. But God knows that, without proper rest, you’ll struggle to be who he wants you to be. Rest is so important to God that he even put it in the Ten Commandments: “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:8-10 NLT). When you’re anxiously working from early morning to late night, you’ll burn out—and that’s not what God wants for you. He wants you to get enough rest. In 1 Kings, the prophet Elijah needed some serious rest after a confrontation with 450 pagan prophets of the false god Baal. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were leading the nation of Israel to follow these gods. In a dramatic moment before all of Israel, Elijah asked God to send down fire to consume a sacrifice and, thus, prove he was the one true G...

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.” Colossians 3:13 (NIV) You probably don’t like conflict. Most people try to avoid it as much as possible! But conflict is inevitable in life—because no one is perfect. But if you want to build a better future and pursue your purpose, God calls you to “bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone” (Colossians 3:13 NIV). Before you can learn healthy ways to respond to conflict, you need to know the common causes of conflict. In Nehemiah 5, you find four common causes: 1. Unmet basic needs. Unmet needs can be physical, emotional, relational, or financial. In Nehemiah’s time, it was a physical need: People were hungry. They were working to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem but encountered a famine. The people said, “We have such large families. We need more food to survive” (Nehemiah 5:2 NLT). 2. Falling behind. When you feel like you’re not making any prog...

“A good reputation and respect are worth much more than silver and gold.” Proverbs 22:1 One of the deepest needs in life is the need to feel respected by others. In fact, Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good reputation and respect are worth much more than silver and gold” (CEV). But being respected doesn’t come automatically—you have to earn it. One way you earn it is by how you handle conflict. Why? Because any time you’re involved in a disagreement, people will watch to see how you’re going to react. Nehemiah is a great example of someone who earned the respect of others by the way he handled conflict. Here’s how Nehemiah did it and how you can do it too: Nehemiah paused to think before he spoke. He listened to the complaints and charges the Israelites had against those who exploited them during a famine. And before he responded, he “pondered them in [his] mind” (Nehemiah 5:7 NIV). This means he carefully considered the situation. He thought it through before he spoke, putting his mind in gea...

“In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” Matthew 7:12 (NIV) There are many ways to earn the respect of others during times of conflict. Pause before you speak, resolve conflict privately, and appeal to the best in people. But the very first thing you should do is this: Empathize with the feelings of others. If you want people to respect you, you must respect their feelings. What you sow, you will reap. The Bible says, “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12 NIV). This is especially true when people are hurting, grieving, fearful, or feel there’s been an injustice against them. People want to know that you understand what they’re going through. They don’t care what you know until they first know that you care. You don’t have to agree with someone to empathize with their emotions. When you see people protesting, for example, you may not agree with their conclusions, but you can still try to understand why they’re doing what...