When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
Nehemiah 2:10 New International Version (NIV)
Now the men and their wives [in Jerusalem] raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.” Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.
Nehemiah 5:1-5 (NIV)
To be human is to be in conflict.
Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Matthew 5:9(NIV)
How do godly leaders resolve conflict? How can we be peacemakers?
When I [Nehemiah] heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling our own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
Nehemiah 5:6-8 (NIV)
Godly leaders are patient and self-controlled.
A fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back.
Proverbs 29:11 (NIV)
“What’s it like to be on the other side of me?”
- Cary Nieuwhof
So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them — one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.” “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised.
Believe the best about others
Explain rather than blame
Be specific – Don’t use generalizations
Say you want things to get better
What about you?
PRAY!
Prayer will take any smirk of superiority out of your attitude, which goes a long way toward solving problems.
Cary Nieuwhof