Nehemiah : WK 6 - TUE
Distraction
Nehemiah 6:1-4
Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono.
But I realized they were plotting to harm me, so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”
Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
As God’s people race to complete their work, their enemies diversify their attacks in a last-ditch effort to thwart the project. Today’s tactic is distraction.
Focus is a powerful tool. It is essential for our best work. However, in today’s attention-deficit society, the struggle to eliminate distractions and complete our tasks has intensified significantly. We are surrounded by noise. Our screen time has skyrocketed: there is always an email or text to respond to or an unsolicited message to delete. There are Instagram shorts to watch and YouTube rabbit holes to explore. When we venture out, there are errands to run, kids’ softball games to arrange, and groceries to pick up. We go to work each day, worship on the weekend, and then start all over again.
We also face distractions from our spiritual mission as a faith community. Often, the most challenging distractions are positive ideas that vie for our attention. While there are many things we could pursue, the church should continually ask what area of focus God is inviting us into today. Nehemiah must not only reject the invitation of his enemies but also be cautious of distractions that arise from his own team if he ever hopes to finish.
In his book, Great by Choice, author Jim Collins (whom we mentioned in an earlier study) uses the two 1911 South Pole expeditions of Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott to illustrate better and worse organizational practices. Amundsen’s expedition succeeded, while Scott’s failed miserably, resulting in the deaths of the entire team. Among other things, Amundsen practiced a discipline Collins refers to as the “20-mile March.” Scott’s group traveled varying distances each day depending on the weather, illness, and other factors. Amundsen insisted on completing a full 20 miles (and no more) each day.
As it turns out, the most challenging part of the 20-mile march was stopping on sunny days when the group felt good enough to continue. I have certainly experienced the application of this metaphor in church ministry. When things are flourishing, people are making decisions for Christ and discovering a sense of belonging, individuals come from miles around to suggest ministries the church should add. Instinctively, we strive for more and more, even though it jeopardizes our central mission. It requires immense restraint to adhere to today’s 20-mile march.
The arrows of distraction zip past Nehemiah, both the bad ones and the good ones. Time and again, he sharpens his focus and remains on the wall.
Nehemiah 6:1-4
Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono.
But I realized they were plotting to harm me, so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”
Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
As God’s people race to complete their work, their enemies diversify their attacks in a last-ditch effort to thwart the project. Today’s tactic is distraction.
Focus is a powerful tool. It is essential for our best work. However, in today’s attention-deficit society, the struggle to eliminate distractions and complete our tasks has intensified significantly. We are surrounded by noise. Our screen time has skyrocketed: there is always an email or text to respond to or an unsolicited message to delete. There are Instagram shorts to watch and YouTube rabbit holes to explore. When we venture out, there are errands to run, kids’ softball games to arrange, and groceries to pick up. We go to work each day, worship on the weekend, and then start all over again.
We also face distractions from our spiritual mission as a faith community. Often, the most challenging distractions are positive ideas that vie for our attention. While there are many things we could pursue, the church should continually ask what area of focus God is inviting us into today. Nehemiah must not only reject the invitation of his enemies but also be cautious of distractions that arise from his own team if he ever hopes to finish.
In his book, Great by Choice, author Jim Collins (whom we mentioned in an earlier study) uses the two 1911 South Pole expeditions of Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott to illustrate better and worse organizational practices. Amundsen’s expedition succeeded, while Scott’s failed miserably, resulting in the deaths of the entire team. Among other things, Amundsen practiced a discipline Collins refers to as the “20-mile March.” Scott’s group traveled varying distances each day depending on the weather, illness, and other factors. Amundsen insisted on completing a full 20 miles (and no more) each day.
As it turns out, the most challenging part of the 20-mile march was stopping on sunny days when the group felt good enough to continue. I have certainly experienced the application of this metaphor in church ministry. When things are flourishing, people are making decisions for Christ and discovering a sense of belonging, individuals come from miles around to suggest ministries the church should add. Instinctively, we strive for more and more, even though it jeopardizes our central mission. It requires immense restraint to adhere to today’s 20-mile march.
The arrows of distraction zip past Nehemiah, both the bad ones and the good ones. Time and again, he sharpens his focus and remains on the wall.
- Which social media platform captures more of your attention than the others? What do you enjoy about it?
- Is it easy or difficult for you to maintain your focus? What do you think causes this?
- What is the most vital mission of your faith community? What distractions do you believe your community faces?
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