KNOCKED DOWN, BUT NOT KNOCKED OUT

Mark Edward Sudhir

Understand what we do then?
What we do when a harsh word is spoken to us? We usually shout louder. The recent argument in your home lasted as long as it did because one of you kept yelling. Arguments are never a one-way street. They run in twos; sometimes in packs. Dr. Samuel Mathai (Founder and President of Susamachar Seva Mandali) put it like this, “When you argue with emotion then war will come but when you argue with intelligence then peace will come”1 If you want to stop an argument, close your mouth. The other person will usually just run down. If you want to keep the argument going, answer the complaint or criticism in a harsh way. Look at verses 28 and 29 in the same chapter of proverbs;
‘The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. The Lord is far from the wicked. But He hears the prayer of the righteous.” If you want wisdom in knowing how to handle any problem, drop to your knees. James 1:5 says, if you need wisdom, ask God for it.
Before Nehemiah ever said a word to the critic, he talked with God. He refused to retaliate even though others might have encouraged him to do so.
One of the knottiest situations a pastor can put himself into is personal retaliation. He is going to be criticized by some, no matter what. The worst thing he can do is fight every critic, one by one. I have the experience of it as the son of a pastor. There was an amazing history of the church where my father is pastor. When he first went to the church, attendance was down, and those who did attend sat in the back three pews. On this pastor’s first Sunday there he picked up the pulpit and literally carried it down the aisle, placing it near the people. Sunday after Sunday he kept having to move the pulpit back toward the front of the sanctuary until finally he has almost preached in the choir loft! Ultimately, the place was filled each Sunday morning. He preached the word, walked with God, and faithfully labored in spite of opposition.
The very first thing that ought to result from criticism is prayer. This principle should be applied in business, at home, and at school, as well as at church. Never am I used of God more significantly than when I am praying for my critics.
Nehemiah approached opposition in two ways. First, he took his setbacks to God in prayer; and second, he stayed at the task. He persisted (Nehemiah 4:6). “Keep mixing the mortar and hand me another brick!”

Critics demoralize. Leaders encourage:
When the critics spoke, the workmen heard them and were demoralized. But when the capable leader stepped up and said, “Let’s look at it God’s way; stay at the job,” the crew members were back with those trowels and wheelbarrows, putting together the stone and the mortar, the gates and the hinges.
Nothing excites Satan or the critic more than for his negativism to result in a slowdown of progress. The easiest thing to do when one is criticized is to give up. But Nehemiah said, “Stay at the task. Don’t give up. Keep building.” You could hear the workmen day and night, splashing on that mortar, putting the stones into place. That productive activity should have assaulted the hearts of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem but that’s not the case. In fact, the size of their group grew. Verses 7 and 8 tells us that Sanballat and Tobiah were joined by the Ammonites and the Ashodites; and they even added some Arabs! They intensified the opposition. “And when they heard the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry… they conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.”
There are times when criticism doesn’t die, it intensifies. Not only did the critics expand their troops, but they also added an intensity in the opposition. They planned a conspiracy and arranged to cause a disturbance.
What did Nehemiah do when confronted with continued harassment? As was his custom, he intensified his prayer, “But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night” (Neh 4:9). The intensified opposition might have knocked him down, but it was a long way from knocking him out.
Intensified opposition against the will of God calls for an intensified response. Nehemiah not only heard the opposition, but he also analyzed available data, prayed, and took decisive, practical action. He said, “Let’s set up a guard against them.” That was a common-sense response. He persisted by taking up arms.

May be Knocked down but not knocked out:
Occasionally, persistence in the form of common sense must prevail. Do you fear that someone is going to break into your home? Certainly, you should trust God, but don’t forget to look at the doors. Don’t just pray about it. It is foolish to leave doors unlocked when you are praying that none will break in to and rob your house.
Out of a job? Pray! But hit the road to. Fill out the resume. Make contacts. Get in touch with as many opportunities as possible. The Lord doesn’t have any trouble hitting a moving target. In fact, it’s easier to steer a moving vehicle than one that is impossible. We will read more about Nehemiah’s common sense in the next chapter, but before we do I don’t want us to miss three very practical truths that can be gleaned from Nehemiah chapter 4.
1. It is impossible to lead anyone without facing opposition.
The leader must learn to take the heat. He will face opposition; it is an occupational hazard of every leader. Darts will be thrown. When the leader could over come the opposition, then he can boldly testify and give assurance of overcoming  problems and  can lead anyone as a good leader. The word of testimony has more power than the theory. And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. (Rev 12:11)
2. It is essential to face opposition in prayer.
The first response to opposition must be prayer. Prayer is the single; most often overlooked discipline in the Christian life among leaders. When Peter was facing the opposition, hand of the kings and the interests of public were against him, while he was in the prison,  he and the church were continued to pray. God then wonderfully delivered him. (Acts 12: 1-11)
3. Prayer is not all that is necessary if opposition grows.
That was true of David. He prayed when Saul was after him, but he also ran like mad! When opposition intensified, he ran faster. When it got worse, he hid in more obscure places. In most cases, the critic is not worth the worry. But if the leader has prayed and yet finds himself facing intensified opposition, common sense must be employed.
A number of weeks ago I was discouraged because of criticism. My optimism eroded as a lengthy chain of events led me into “the pits.” Knowing of my need for the encouragement many of my friends encouraged me to lift my spirits. There are many Scripture portions I have got like Isa 41:10, Jeremiah 29:11 etc. What encouragements are those. I often read those when opposition abounds and my shoulder starts to droop, when I am knocked down and feel like I am about to be knocked out. It reads:
       It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually try to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.2

Take the criticism in an Optimistic way:
I would like to repeat the opening statement that I have made here: No leader is exempt from criticism. Take the criticism in the optimistic way, Jesus had the opposition though He is the Son of God then how much more this world can oppose or criticize us. Criticism and opposition not only from outside the Church but from the very inside of the church it will come. Once Dr. P.G. Vargis (founder and President of Indian Evangelical Team) preached like this: “We think, our enemies are non-Christians, but the truth is we ourselves are biggest enemy of our lives, next our fellow Christians and only then are the  non-Christians.”3 So, Don’t expect to be criticised. But when it comes, be ready to battle against discouragements, which is poised and ready to strike on the heels of criticism. You can count on it. Criticisms are the steps for us on which we can step and get higher and higher. Today’s Christian leaders, ministers, pastors need to know this fact in order to have the successful and fruitful Christian life. India is shouting, “We need Christ but not Christians” Why? Because today there is no Christ in Christianity. Christ humbled Himself and faced the critics, are we doing such? Let’s not be discouraged, disappointed and miss the mark by seeing and facing the opposition and criticism but remember that you can be knocked down but cannot be knocked out, like Nehemiah. India need people like Nehemiah today, Where are the Nehemiahs
 today, are you the one?

(Footnotes)
1 Dr. Samuel Mathai, Preaching on Lordship of Jesus, at STCS chapel on 26
th Sept, 2004
.
2 John Edmund Haggai, How to win Over worry
(grand Rapids: Zondervan Publications, 1959) p. 144