Be No More a Reproach
Nehemiah 2:17 ¶ Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
This is not a wall at Jerusalem obviously . . . this is Brimstone Hill Fortress on St. Kitts
Self-Reproach
There are times in my life, or times in all our lives, where we feel as if we are much less than we could be. We are not living up to our potential. Maybe we are actively working against our best selves. This could be by neglect, a recent failure, mistakes made, or by actively doing what we know to be wrong. Sometimes this feeling comes through comparison to others, or through envy of what others have or what they can do that we seemingly cannot do. When this happens to me the person who treats me with the hardest judgment and reproach is myself. My thoughts and words can be ones of disappointment in myself. I start to tell myself I’m not worthy, or not good enough, or that I simply do not deserve happiness. Staying in bed becomes easier than trying. We must always remember that we are at a constant war with adversaries who want to bring us down to their level, or what we sometimes call hell. They know the best weapon they have is our own minds and our own thoughts. Once a thought is in our mind it tends to want to hang on and we tend to dwell on it. We must learn to let these negative feelings and thoughts about ourselves go. We must find more positive ways to think about ourselves in order to allow us to improve and find happiness in the ongoing progress of our improvement.
I recently found a few words of Nehemiah helpful in this process. He gave me some ideas to help in creating the environment I need for more positive thoughts. He mentioned the words “be no more a reproach” in one of his motivational speeches to the people of Jerusalem and it made me stop and think (Nehemiah 2:17). I wondered if I could take the rebuilding of the walls and gates of the city of Jerusalem as a metaphor, or maybe as an example, of how to guard against personal reproach.
Negative thoughts are not all bad. They can help us find problems or challenges or things we need to improve on. What we don’t do well as humans is to assess them, and then let them go. If we allow our negative thoughts to dwell too long, it can simply lead to much more temptation and many more opportunities to find short cuts to feel better in the moment - most of which lead to a place that is not helpful to our long-term growth.
Let’s look at the approach Nehemiah took with the people of Jerusalem as he worked to rebuild the wall and gates of the city.
Bible Background (Long Story Short Version)
If you remember, between approximately 600 BCE and 580 BCE the Jews and their lands, which included the city of Jerusalem, fell to Babylon. Over those years many were taken into captivity with very few being left behind in their homelands. Those that were left behind lost their law, their religion and covenants with God, they married into other local families. They made their way the best they could, but they quickly lost much of their past way of life. The temple was gone, the cities were gone, and all the tribes of Israel had been removed and either lost or taken into captivity. They were in captivity for approximately 70 years. During this time the Persian Empire defeated and replaced the Babylonians. Just after Cyrus became the new king of Persia, he felt inspired to let the Jews, as well as other captives, return to their homelands and worship their own Gods and in their own way. The return had begun. The Jews had been returning to Jerusalem in waves for over 50 years when Nehemiah received news about Judah and how the people were doing from some friends. Nehemiah was an Israelite but was also a very high placed and respected advisor to the King. He was the King’s cup bearer. The news he heard about Jerusalem was not good. The walls of the city were destroyed, rubbish and broken material were everywhere, and the gates to the city had been burned out. Other countries, communities, and leaders in Palestine were not so happy with the Jews return. Skirmishes, wars, and raids were common. Nehemiah ask for a leave from the King to go help build the city walls and help them protect themselves. The King allowed this and even gave him support, supplies, and resources to help it all happen.
Step One
We see in Nehemiah chapter 2 the discussion he had with the people of the Jerusalem and how he helped them assess the problems. They looked around at the city, they saw the fallen walls and rubbish left behind. They saw the burnt-out gates. They mentioned that there was so much rubbish that they didn’t know where or how to start. I can imagine at this point it seemed hopeless and they felt helpless. Nehemiah helped them find a way forward. He helps them put their worry to the side and started to actually get to work by simply taking some steps forward and assigning jobs for everyone. They started the long process of building the walls again. They decided to no longer “be a reproach” and simply take one step, or one day at a time replacing the walls. Putting that process to work for myself I should take an assessment of the issue, make sure I understand it, and then quickly start with simple steps. Normally, whatever self-improvement or project I take on will not be complete in one day, or even on year, and that is okay. Just starting the work makes me feel better and puts me in a different mental state. No need to dwell and focus on the negative or the reasons it may not work. Put that away for now and take a step forward.
Step Two
As the people of Jerusalem started working, they found that their enemies did not want them to complete the work. Challenges emerged. Things got harder just as they got going. Enemies, neighbors, and maybe even some of their friends, started to attack, and found the breaches that still existed in the wall. Again and again, they tried to end the work of rebuilding that wall. The same will happen in our lives as we start to make improvements. It will not all be easy. Somedays are better than others. On the bad days we may feel like the work is going too slow, or that others are working against us, or that our friends, family, co-workers, or even spouses are not helpful. We may simply feel that we are not strong enough to do this. That return of our own “reproach” can start the cycle over.
How did Nehemiah solve this issue? In Nehemiah 4:9 we see that he took half the people to set up a “watch against them day and night.” Everyone would take turns on this watch team. He gave them weapons and horns, and ways to communicate to let all know when one of their enemies was approaching. I would think that this “watch” slowed the work of rebuilding the wall in the short term by cutting the labor in half. But it also made sure they could continue with the work in safety. In the end it made the re-building move along consistently, with less challenges, and I’m sure allowed for a faster completion. We must do the same. We must set up a “watch” against those bad thoughts, we must guard against temptations to stop improving. We must know when a comment from a friend or family member is not helpful and let it go - just ignore it. We must be prepared for and watch for challenges and disappointment. If we are not surprised, we can assess the thoughts or comments and let it go. It will not set us back. There will be bad days. What we do with them is what makes the difference. Do we give up, or do we sound the alarm to alert those who can help us stay on track? Watch, seek help when needed, and stay alert for those negative thoughts.
In Summary
We should do the following when discouraged, and/or to minimize future discouragement:
Do the work. At least start the work, take steps. Doing the work takes times. That is okay. Artists have a thing they call the “white canvas problem.” The hardest part is to just get started. Looking at a blank canvas can make you feel like you have no ideas at all. I was taught in art school to just make a mark on the canvas or paper. Any mark - large or small. At that stage no mark is wrong. Just get started. As we start, we will immediately start to feel better. We will find purpose and increasing strength to let our own negative thoughts.
We must also set up guards and watch against other temptations or other bad thoughts that may cause us to end the actual doing of the work. Find a supportive person or support group that can be there when you feel the enemy at the gates. Work to put the negative thoughts to the side and take one more step forward. As we do this, we gain experience in controlling our thoughts, and gain trust in ourselves and in God, who will help us. We gain strength and find the work of self-improvement easier and more productive over time.
