God's people often experience conflict. It either comes from those outside of God's people who are against God. Or it comes from those within God's people who cause trouble. Dealing with conflict needs wisdom and care, since small issues can become big problems.
Paul encountered opposition from the government and community leaders (Acts 16:22–24; Acts 19:23–34). Moses dealt with the complaining and unhappy people of Israel (for example, Exodus 17:1–4). The book of Nehemiah offers a detailed example of how a godly person can deal with conflict.
Nehemiah
Nehemiah experienced challenges both from those outside and those within God's people as he followed God's guidance.
External Conflict
Foreigners like Sanballat, Geshem, and Tobiah strongly opposed rebuilding Jerusalem's walls and mocked Nehemiah's leadership (Nehemiah 2:10, 2:19; 4:1–3). The opposition increased to include Arabs, Ammonites, and people from Ashdod, who planned to attack the builders (4:7–9, 11).
To counter this, Nehemiah set up guards, prayed for God's help, created an emergency alert system, and continued working (4:6–23). Israel's frustrated enemies tried several times to disgrace or kill Nehemiah (6:1–14). Yet, Nehemiah wisely avoided or stopped their plans while staying focused on his mission from God.
Internal Conflict
Nehemiah also encountered problems within God's people. Wealthy Jews were mistreating the poor by charging high interest (5:1–13). Jews had married foreigners who worshiped other gods (13:23–30). Many did not give tithes or honor the Sabbath day (10:31–39; 13:10–22). Finally, Nehemiah had to oppose the priest Eliashib, who had allowed Tobiah to use one of the temple storerooms (13:4–9).
Confronting these problems required a firm commitment to the principles in Scripture. He had to be bold by insisting that people follow these divine instructions. He needed to show compassion in restoring people to fellowship after the confrontation.
In each case, Nehemiah bravely followed the example of earlier leaders. Moses opposed the worship of the golden calf (Exodus 32). The prophet Samuel opposed those involved in Baal worship (1 Samuel 7:3–8). The prophet Nathan confronted David when he sinned (2 Samuel 12:1–14). King Jehoshaphat trusted God to defeat a stronger enemy (2 Chronicles 20:1–37).
Like these earlier men of God, Nehemiah defended what was right. He did not let those he led do what they wanted. He refused to become discouraged or intimidated by internal problems or external threats. He consistently relied on God for wisdom and blessings for his work.
Jesus and the Apostle Paul
Jesus and the apostle Paul both provided strategies for dealing with internal conflict (Matthew 5:23–26; 18:15–17; 1 Corinthians 6:1–8; 10:23–33). They also strategized how to deal with external conflict (Matthew 5:43–47; Romans 12:14–21). Unfortunately, the actions of Christians, no matter how good, may still encounter continued or increased opposition. The Bible encourages us deal with opposition like Nehemiah. We must use wisdom, patience, prayer, and determination.
Passages for Further Study
Genesis 13:5–13; 26:12–35; Exodus 32:1–35; 1 Samuel 7:3–8; 2 Samuel 12:1–31; 19:41–43; 2 Chronicles 20:1–37; 34:3–7; Nehemiah 2:19–20; 4:1–23; 5:1–13; 6:1–14; 13:4–28; Psalm 140:1–2; Proverbs 13:10; 17:14, 19; 25:8; 26:17, 21; 29:22; Habakkuk 1:3; Acts 23:6–11; 2 Corinthians 7:5–6; Ephesians 6:10–18; Philippians 2:3; 1 Timothy 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:14, 23–26; Titus 2:15; James 3:13–18