Put yourself in the situation ... you have a bodyguard and person charged with protecting you. The person also is in charge of tasting your food, because poisoning was a preferred way of assassination. The person you have trusted with this responsibility has always been upbeat and happy. And today, the person is sad, downcast. What would your reaction be?
This is precisely the scenario in Nehemiah, Chapter 2. Nehemiah is the king's cupbearer. He is a trusted companion, charged with tasting the king's wine and making sure the king is not poisoned. When King Artaxerxes sees the sadness on Nehemiah's face, he is understandably concerned! "Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart (Nehemiah 2:2)." In this case, the king is a lot like mama ... when the king isn't happy, no one is happy! Nehemiah "became dreadfully afraid." A life or death discussion ensues.
In Chapter 1, Nehemiah has prayed for favor before the king. Nehemiah knows this is a dangerous encounter. If the king believes something is off-putting, he can (at a whim) have Nehemiah put to death. He could have him thrown in jail and questioned about why he feels sad. Lots of bad things can happen.
There are so many things we can learn from this little story! But here are a few "be's" I hope can teach us forward!
1. Our attitude about our work and our service is more evident than we think sometimes. So ... be sure. Be sure that the things troubling us are worth the emotional energy we are investing. I had a friend, no longer close and off doing his own thing, that invested emotional energy in things that didn't matter. He would get angry about politics, as if we could really change them. He would let what people said rule his life. He was blown by every wind that came along. He spent his energy chasing (as Solomon said) "after the wind." Don't be that guy!
2. Our attitude affects others, even when we don't know it. So we must be careful that we don't lead others astray. The NBA Nets were supposed to be a "dream team" that would take the NBA by storm this year. Enter Kyrie Irving. Kyrie is known, due to several stays with other teams, as a self-focused, bad teammate. I know the old song says, "One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch." But the Nets lost in the 1st round of the playoffs, and many attribute the loss to the negative influence of Kyrie. In the case of Nehemiah, his countenance could have cost him way more than a lost game ... the word says, "He became dreadfully afraid." Don't be that guy!
3. You might ask, "How do I deal with things that "tweak" me and get me all in a twist? Nehemiah has an answer for that too! Be honest! Let's recall how Nehemiah comes into this situation. He spends his "upset" time grieving for Jerusalem, because he is upset that the city walls are in disrepair. He then steps back from the situation and prays to the God of the universe, asking God for favor when he goes in to see the king. And when the king asks, "Why is your face sad?" Nehemiah answers honestly with a well-thought-out response. Truth, expressing that truth with conviction and making sure he was not manipulative were all parts of Nehemiah's successful response. DO be that guy!
We can do so much when we share our honest concerns, after we examine whether they are worth our investment of energy. Then, share honestly, not out of sadness or emotion, but out of conviction for doing what is right. That is how we, the Church, handle issues that are difficult and/or stressful.
On Facebook today, I was looking at a picture of our universe. The observable part of that universe is 23 million light years, but it is estimated (by mathematical calculations) that it is 23 trillion light years in size. In the Facebook picture, there is a little arrow pointing to earth and it says, "this is me, complaining about the style of worship on Sunday." When I see me in the middle of a universe of 23 trillion light years, and I read Isaiah 40:22 "He stretches out the heavens like a canopy and spreads them out like a tent to live in," it gives me perspective! We sang it Sunday ... "Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God!" Lord ... Thank You for seeing and caring, giving Your wisdom, and showing Your love! AMEN
No comments:
Post a Comment