“I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” (Nehemiah 6:3)

If you are a leader, you spend a lot of your time either on the top or on the bottom. You’re either hero or villain; respected or reviled. Rarely anything between those extremes. People in leadership must live on the yo-yo of public opinion: the target for cheap shots on the bottom, the object of great admiration on the upside. It’s when we are under the verbal attack of the intimidating public that we show our true colours.

Nehemiah was not in the penthouse. Even though he had been a faithful, stable, and consistent leader, a plot to defeat him was underway. The attack upon Nehemiah was very significant because it happened at a crucial juncture in his life. Not very long before they were ready to cut the ribbon and enjoy a jubilant celebration, the enemy began to plot Nehemiah’s demise.

Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono” (Nehemiah 6:2 NASB).

The word “together” suggests a desire for an amicable visit. In effect, they were saying, “You’ve been laying bricks too long, Nehemiah. We’ve had our spats, a few little disagreements, but let’s get together. Come on up to Ono.”

Nehemiah said, “Oh, no!” to Ono. Somehow, he knew their motives were not what they seemed. He writes, “They were planning to harm me” (6:2 NASB). I can’t explain how any leader in God’s family can be gifted with this sixth sense from above. He gets to the edge of danger and something inside says, “I don’t dare get into that; there’s something wrong.”

That doesn’t mean we should live the life of an isolationist; it does mean we should live a life of discernment. Discernment is a God-given quality a leader must possess. Discernment allows you to read between the lines.

So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work and am unable to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” (6:3 NASB)

There is a great difference between being an available man or woman of God and being a puppet of people. Some people never understand how you can say no. But every leader must reserve that right. One of the marks of maturity is the ability to say no without explanation. What a secure man! Unintimidated is the word.

Taken from Hand Me Another Brick by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2006 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com