“When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry.”
Nehemiah 5:6
We live in an activist age with no shortage of causes we can embrace. People may use a sense of higher calling to forsake their neighbors around them. This neglect is not new in world history, nor is it new for the people of God. Throughout the Bible, the Lord rails against those who show favoritism and forsake the poor and needy.
This is what is occurring while God’s people are rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. (By the way, this is another proof for the truthfulness of Scripture. Why would God’s people be called to the mat amidst this heroic quest unless we’re reading real history?) Faithfulness to the Lord in big things is meant to supplement, not supplant, faithfulness to Him in the small things.
Do you rally for political causes but neglect your neighbor? Do you share the gospel with others but scream at your spouse and kids at home? We should never justify neglect of our basic Christian duties in the name of a higher calling. If we lose our identity in Christ in order to achieve greater purposes, we are following Satan, not Jesus.
This is what is occurring while God’s people are rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. (By the way, this is another proof for the truthfulness of Scripture. Why would God’s people be called to the mat amidst this heroic quest unless we’re reading real history?) Faithfulness to the Lord in big things is meant to supplement, not supplant, faithfulness to Him in the small things.
Do you rally for political causes but neglect your neighbor? Do you share the gospel with others but scream at your spouse and kids at home? We should never justify neglect of our basic Christian duties in the name of a higher calling. If we lose our identity in Christ in order to achieve greater purposes, we are following Satan, not Jesus.
Scripture Focus
Nehemiah 5:1-6
Insight
Gut check: What in your life is blinding you to your neighbor? Ask Christ to grow your compassion.
Bible In A Year
- 1 Samuel 28-29
- Psalm 134
- Galatians 5-6