When Good Invitations Become Dangerous Distractions
Most worthwhile projects don’t fail because of outright opposition — they fail because of distraction. We begin with passion, clarity, and conviction, but somewhere along the way, competing voices pull us off course. Nehemiah 6 reminds us that finishing well often requires saying no to things that sound reasonable, polite, or even good.
As the wall around Jerusalem nears completion, Nehemiah’s enemies change strategy. Instead of threats, they offer conversation: “Come, let us meet together.” The location — Ono — sounds harmless enough, but Nehemiah sees what’s really going on. This is not diplomacy; it’s diversion. He replies with one of the most focused statements in Scripture: “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”
That sentence exposes an uncomfortable truth for us. Distractions rarely arrive labelled “temptation.” They come disguised as meetings, opportunities, favours, or invitations that pull us away from what God has clearly called us to do. The enemy doesn’t need us to abandon the work entirely — only to pause it long enough for momentum to die.
Nehemiah refuses four times. Persistence meets persistence. He practices what might be called “planned neglect” — deliberately setting aside lesser things to remain faithful to the greater task. That kind of discernment is essential for believers today. Not every invitation deserves our time. Not every good idea deserves our energy.
The question we must ask is simple but searching: Does this advance the work God has given me, or does it quietly delay it? Whether in family life, ministry, work, or spiritual disciplines, finishing strong requires clarity of purpose and courage to say “no.”
God’s work is too important to be sidelined by distraction. Like Nehemiah, may we recognise the “great work” that God has called us to — and stay on the wall.