Negative people will distract you. You know God has given you an important assignment. But these naysayers tell you that you’re the wrong person. You’ve got the wrong idea. You’re doing it the wrong way.

Take Nehemiah, for example. Nehemiah wasn’t a pastor or a priest. He was a businessman. Israel had been taken captive by the Babylonians. The Israelites had been in exile for 70 years — and then the Babylonians let them go home. Jerusalem had been destroyed and was defenseless. Nehemiah got a big idea. “I’ll rebuild my city. And I’ll start by rebuilding the wall to protect it.”

He encountered instant opposition.

Israel’s enemies didn’t want to see Jerusalem defended. Leaders realize that every opportunity comes with opposition. I’ve never done anything in my life that wasn’t opposed by somebody. Opportunity plus opposition equals God’s will.

Nehemiah’s enemies tried all sorts of things to stop him from rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. They tried ridicule, rumors, and threats. When none of that worked, they tried to slow him down with discussion.

Your critics — the naysayers who want to prevent you from doing what the Lord has called you to do — will use the same bag of tricks. They’ll ridicule you, spread rumors about you, and even threaten you to get you to stop doing what God wants you to do.

But instead of listening to them, respond the way that Nehemiah did.

“So I replied by sending this message to them: ‘I am doing a great work! I cannot stop to come and meet with you.’ Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply” (Nehemiah 6:3-4 NLT).

We don’t need to fight with naysayers. It’s not worth it. Billy Graham once told me you can wrestle with a pig, but only one of you is going to enjoy it. He was correct. If you want to go take on people who are negative about what you’re doing, you’ll just waste your time.

Nehemiah didn’t defend his work. You don’t need to defend yourself either. Just let it go. Have enough faith to wait for the day God’s work through your life will be proven correct. That day will come.