I’ve already written that Nehemiah led the people on a successful wall-building project. This is one more quick look at the last attempt of his enemies to derail the work.

When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates—Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; 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?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. (Nehemiah 6.1 – 4, NIV)

“I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down.”

Do we have a “great project” mentality that enables us to say no to distractions?

As I think about it, there may be two primary reasons that people don’t do (or finish) what they ought to do:

• They don’t start now. I call this Labanizing after Laban’s actions in Genesis 24, and I’ve written two blogs on it – please check them out here.
• They have too much to do. Here’s where Nehemiah’s “Great Project” mentality comes in. “If I come down and talk to you, I can’t finish what I’m supposed to be doing.” There’s an entire book on this concept: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. Strongly recommend. Here are a few snippets:
  • “Am I investing in the right activities?” There are far more activities and opportunities in the world than we have time and resources to invest in. And although many of them may be good, or even very good, the fact is that most are trivial and few are vital. The way of the Essentialist involves learning to tell the difference—learning to filter through all those options and selecting only those that are truly essential. Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. – page 6
  • If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will. – page 10
  • I challenge you here and now to make a commitment to make room to enjoy the essential. Do you think for one second you will regret such a decision? Is it at all likely you will wake up one day and say, “I wish I had been less true to myself and had done all the nonessential things others expected of me”? – page 28
  • You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything. – page 45
  • Essentialists see trade-offs as an inherent part of life, not as an inherently negative part of life. Instead of asking, “What do I have to give up?” they ask, “What do I want to go big on?” – page 56

Nehemiah had it right. So did the Apostle Paul:

This one thing I do… (Philippians 3.13, KJV)

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent… (Philippians 1.9, 10, ESV)