Don’t Come Down
One of the things we all want to know is this: What am I supposed to do with my life?
But once we gain clarity on what we’re supposed to do, here’s a challenge all of us face: How do I stay focused on the work I’ve been called to do?
In the 5th century BC, a man named Nehemiah felt called to go to Jerusalem and help rebuild the city. God had given him a passion and calling to do this. He received permission to leave his post as cupbearer to the king in Persia. He had the resources he needed. He recruited many others to help him. He began the work.
But not everyone was in favor of the work he was committed to doing. Sound familiar? There are people and forces who will always want to put a “no” where God puts a “yes” for our lives.
When Nehemiah had almost completed the work, there was a group of people who invited him to attend a meeting. But he knew they had ulterior motives. He gave them such a strong reply and I think his words can help us so much.
Nehemiah 6:3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”
I want to talk about three sources that tend to make us come down from the great projects God has assigned to us.
Less Than Ideal Circumstances. Let’s face it: Every single one of us has had to deal with unfavorable circumstances at some point in our lives. Is there any circumstance in your life that you’re allowing to take you away from an assignment you’ve been called to?
Harsh Critics. I don’t know about you, but it’s easy for me to allow criticism to keep me from bringing out what I’m supposed to do with my life. There are a few things that I have had to learn about this. For starters, there is no way to please everyone. Also, the greater level of influence you have, the more criticism you will receive. And lastly, when you’re secure in your identity and calling, you can even begin to learn something from your critics. But what we cannot do is allow our critics to take us down from the high calling God has given us. Are you giving more attention to your critics or to the work you’re called to do?
Too Many Distractions. There is more noise than ever before. We have more opportunities than humans have ever been offered. And social media can become a black hole of distractions all by itself. What distractions are pulling you away from the areas you should be bringing your focus to?
Whatever has caused you to come down from the great work you’re meant to do, let me encourage you with these three words: Get back up! You were created to bring out meaningful work in your life. You don’t have to be paralyzed by circumstances or deflated by your critics or pulled away by all the noise and distractions in our world.
