About Pastor Rick Warren

Get guidance on Bible study from C.S. Lewis - Free Course!
<< Daily Hope with Rick Warren

We Don’t Need to Fight Critics - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - May 25, 2017

We Don’t Need to Fight Critics
By Rick Warren

“So I replied by sending this message to them: ‘I am doing a great work! I cannot stop to come and meet with you.’ Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply” (Nehemiah 6:3-4 NLT).

Negative people will distract you. You know God has given you an important assignment. But these naysayers tell you that you’re the wrong person. You’ve got the wrong idea. You’re doing it the wrong way.

Take Nehemiah, for example. Nehemiah wasn’t a pastor or a priest. He was a businessman. Israel had been taken captive by the Babylonians. The Israelites had been in exile for 70 years — and then the Babylonians let them go home. Jerusalem had been destroyed and was defenseless. Nehemiah got a big idea. “I’ll rebuild my city. And I’ll start by rebuilding the wall to protect it.”

He encountered instant opposition.

Israel’s enemies didn’t want to see Jerusalem defended. Leaders realize that every opportunity comes with opposition. I’ve never done anything in my life that wasn’t opposed by somebody. Opportunity plus opposition equals God’s will.

Nehemiah’s enemies tried all sorts of things to stop him from rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. They tried ridicule, rumors, and threats. When none of that worked, they tried to slow him down with discussion.

Your critics — the naysayers who want to prevent you from doing what the Lord has called you to do — will use the same bag of tricks. They’ll ridicule you, spread rumors about you, and even threaten you to get you to stop doing what God wants you to do.

But instead of listening to them, respond the way that Nehemiah did.

“So I replied by sending this message to them: ‘I am doing a great work! I cannot stop to come and meet with you.’ Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply”  (Nehemiah 6:3-4 NLT).

We don’t need to fight with naysayers. It’s not worth it. Billy Graham once told me you can wrestle with a pig, but only one of you is going to enjoy it. He was correct. If you want to go take on people who are negative about what you’re doing, you’ll just waste your time.

Nehemiah didn’t defend his work. You don’t need to defend yourself either. Just let it go. Have enough faith to wait for the day God’s work through your life will be proven correct. That day will come.

Play today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over:

  • Why is it so hard to ignore naysayers?
  • How have you faced opposition and naysayers as you’ve followed God?
  • What might you say to naysayers based on what you’ve learned today?

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!


A Toolbox For Life Study Kit

Get the skills you need to succeed in life!
Desire and determination simply aren’t enough to succeed in life. Success isn’t about working hard… It’s about working smart, God’s way.
That’s what you’ll learn how to do with Pastor Rick’s Toolbox for Life Study Kit.

We’ll send you the Toolbox for Life Study Kit as thanks for your gift to Daily Hope this month, so request your copy when you give below.

We pray it helps you build the biblical skills you need for success!

This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.



More Daily Hope with Rick Warren Articles