“I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.” (Nehemiah 6:3-4)
God assigned Nehemiah with the task of building the wall around Jerusalem. He was a capable leader who rallied the people to make tremendous strides despite severe opposition. His enemies responded with anger, insults, and threats of violence to impede his progress, but nothing worked. The children of Israel stayed on time and task. Then his foes thought of a devious plan – invite him to a meeting.
Nehemiah realized that unnecessary meetings would distract him, burn time, and prevent him from accomplishing his goal. So, he declined the meeting request, “I cannot come to your meeting. I am involved in critical job. Why should I leave it and go to your meeting?” You’ve got to admire Nehemiah’s boldness and single-mindedness. They kept asking and asking hoping that he would finally acquiesce, but Nehemiah turned them down every time.
Meetings are a necessary evil of every organization. You will be tempted to accept every meeting request because you want to be a team player. You might even have a special expertise that would add value to a meeting that is outside your department. Don’t do it. Stay vigilant. You must graciously decline time and time again.
Instead of your colleagues asking you to help them accomplish their department goals; you should ask them to help you raise money. At the end of the fiscal year, you will be evaluated on how much money you raised, not on how many meetings you attended. Stay focused on your task and stay in your lane.
Learn to say, “NO!”
May you have a Spirit-led fundraising week, Ron