Listening Leader: Trusting God Through Opposition Ep 39

What if opposition isn’t a sign to stop, but a signal to listen deeper? We turn to Nehemiah 4 to reframe leadership under pressure—moving from fear to vigilance, from isolation to trumpet-ready community, and from frantic fixes to Spirit-led strategy. Rather than glorifying the 52-day rebuild, we explore the blueprint beneath it: a leader who hears God clearly, discerns threats wisely, and mobilizes people to build with one hand while holding faith-fueled weapons in the other.

We share practical guidance for women leading in workplaces where exclusion, scarcity, or subtle mockery show up at the water cooler and in the boardroom. You’ll learn how to create “trumpet culture” so your allies rally fast, how to distinguish when vs if in your theology of resistance, and how to translate biblical vigilance into today’s meeting rooms, project plans, and stakeholder maps. Along the way, we highlight spiritual disciplines—prayer, Scripture, fasting, silence, Sabbath, confession, wise counsel—that sharpen discernment and keep your identity rooted when voices grow loud.

Against the backdrop of shaken systems—economic, political, educational, even religious—we talk about collaborating with God instead of defaulting to passivity or control. Listening leadership means acting with surrendered strategy: asking for divine wisdom, stepping with courage, and staying responsive when reality doesn’t match your plan. We close with reflection prompts to clarify what you’re building, who hears your alarm, and which spiritual tools God may be inviting you to pick up next. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s building under pressure, and leave a review to help more leaders find these conversations.

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Keywords: Christian women, Spirit-led living, Holy Spirit, faith podcast, women in leadership, working ...

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to In the Flow, a podcast for women pursuing God's spirit in life and leadership. I'm Kelly Johnson, and this season we're exploring what it means to become the listening leader. Because clarity and alignment with the Lord create a more impactful leader. Each conversation invites you to slow down, lean in, and lead from a place of attunement with the Lord so that we can grow in spirit-led wisdom and authentic

Season Vision: Listening Leadership

SPEAKER_00 0:36

power. Let's get in the flow. In this season of In the Flow, we're exploring what it means to become listening leaders. Women who are learning how to hear God's voice, discern his leading, and respond faithfully in real time. Throughout this season, I've been returning again and again to Scripture as our primary formation ground. And one of the biblical leaders I reference in this season's devotional is Nehemiah. You can download that free devotional at my website, imkellyjohnson.com. And this season's devotional is called How to Hear God at Work. So be sure to check that out. But Nehemiah is often remembered for what he built, which was the wall around Jerusalem, and for how quickly the work was completed. But when we slow down and listen closely to the story, we see something deeper. Nehemiah wasn't just a builder, he was the epitome of a listening leader. He listened to God. He discerned the moment. He responded with courage, strategy, and faith, especially under opposition. And that's what this episode is about today: how we can be listening leaders even under opposition. Let's get in the flow. Each of us is carrying something we've been called, really predestined before the foundations of the world to build. I recently have spent some time in the book of Nehemiah, and I just finished reading Nehemiah chapter four. Nehemiah is a story I've read a few times. And like I said earlier, when you hear sermons about Nehemiah, the focus is almost always on the speed of the work, how quickly the wall was rebuilt. And it truly was supernatural to complete a project of that scale within 52 days. But as someone who works in organizational effectiveness, and as I lead

Beyond Speed: Nehemiah’s Strategy

SPEAKER_00 2:49

transformation efforts with my clients and inside organizations, I've always been drawn to Nehemiah for another reason. I admire his strategy, his vision, the way he designed structure and workflow and process, the way he engaged people around a shared assignment. Yes, I genuinely geek out over what Nehemiah accomplished through God, even the way he petitioned the king for what he needed: the supplies, the letters, the protection, the safe passage from Babylon to Jerusalem. You can see that in Nehemiah chapter 2, verses 7 through 9. But when I got to Nehemiah 4, it really was highlighted to me by the Holy Spirit. Because this chapter isn't about speed. It's actually about danger. It's about the opposition the men faced while they were building. And I talk to so many women leaders who have to navigate opposition at work. Some of you know what it's like to be maneuvered out of meetings that you really should be in. Some of you have made a tremendous impact on your teams and inside your organizations. You've

Facing Mockery And Threats

SPEAKER_00 4:03

brought in the big numbers, the big sales, or maybe you completed a massive project. All the while you were under-resourced and under pressure that your counterparts were likely not. Yet by the grace of God, you did it. And I think that's why I want us to examine Nehemiah a little more, because I know what it's like to be marginalized, discounted, unsupported, and not recognized or valued for your effort and results. So let's jump back into Nehemiah's world because I don't think that this is just like a Bible study. I really want us to think about Nehemiah under the context of what we face in our workplaces and maybe even in our homes and personal lives. So Nehemiah and his team, they had enemies, Sandbalat, Tobiah, and Geshem. They were insulting them as they worked. They were mocking them, and they were also threatening their lives. The threat became so real that the workers had to carry their tools in one hand and weapons in the other. So you can find that around Nehemiah 4, verses 16 through 18. And this is important because God didn't remove the enemies. Instead, God called Nehemiah and those men to build anyway. Some of you may even right now be questioning: why, Lord? Why am I here? Why am I in this place, in this work environment, or in this relationship with so much opposition? I know I've asked that question many, many times. Why, Lord? Why don't you just get rid of my enemies? Why don't you just get rid of the bad boss? But what I love about Nehemiah is how he responds. He encourages himself and his fellow co-laborers to trust God. And

When, Not If: Theology Of Opposition

SPEAKER_00 6:10

he says something that feels really honest and grounding. Nehemiah doesn't say if they attack. In Nehemiah verse uh four, chapter four, verse twenty, Nehemiah says, when they attack, our God will fight for us. Not if, when. And this distinction has really stayed with me, like that really stood out to me as I was reading it, because opposition isn't always a sign that we're off track. I think sometimes when we face difficulty and hardships, we think, what did I do wrong? Sometimes difficulty or opposition is confirmation that you're building something that really matters. What struck me even more is that the vigilance never stopped. Even when they went to get water, Nehemiah and his men had to remain on high alert just for a water break. And I know I've been to the coffee room and have felt the stairs as I walk by. So this story totally translates into the modern work environment. How many of you have walked into a room and you can feel, oh, the conversation stopped for some reason, or someone quickly changed the subject? Like scripture is real, and these are not just nice, interesting stories that we're reading. If we really pause to think about them and reflect on them, we can put ourselves in those shoes and we can see that those same dynamics are playing out every single day in our normal day-to-day life. So when Nehemiah and his men went to get water, they had to stay on high alert. And at every stage of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, the men had to be watchful and they had to work together. They couldn't be isolated. Nehemiah kept a trumpeter next to him at all times, and he gave clear instructions. If you hear the trumpet blast, go to the sound, because that sound meant somebody on the team was under attack. And that trumpet was the alarm. And as I think about that, I couldn't stop thinking about women like me and you, women who are carrying an assignment,

Trumpet Culture And Team Defense

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a calling, a vision, something God has entrusted to us, something we're building, either inside an organization, inside our own companies, inside our homes, or inside a season of obedience that we didn't necessarily choose, but we know we're meant to steward. As women, we need what those builders had. We need people around us who understand that while some of us are actively building, working on the dream, the vision, the assignment, others need to be ready to rally when the alarm sounds. So who's going to run toward you when you're under attack? Who's going to stand beside you and fight while you keep doing the work that God has given you? Sometimes that fighting is very practical. And sometimes it's spiritual. Prayer, intercession, fasting, listening to God through stillness, encouraging others through maybe like a timely text that reminds you who you are when the noise gets loud and the pressure gets high. The reality is we will be attacked, unfortunately. And when it happens, we need people around us who can remind us that God is fighting for us. Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 10, verses 3 through 4, that our weapons are not carnal, but they are mighty for the pulling down of strongholds. Which means this isn't just about having community. It's about our spiritual formation, our spiritual growth and discipline. Each of us has a responsibility to grow in our faith, to grow in wisdom, to grow in our understanding of the word of God. And we need to understand what spiritual weapons God has given us because they are spiritual weapons. They are not natural weapons. And I think it's worth asking, how many of us are relying on only one or two tools when God may want to equip us with even more? I've actually in my quiet time, I've asked the Lord, what are these spiritual weapons? Like prayer, scripture, fasting, those make sense. But are there more? I think that maybe there could be. God's kingdom realm is

Spiritual Weapons And Formation

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so vast, and we will never be able to fully understand it as long as we're on this side of heaven. But I think we have an opportunity to ask the Lord, what are my spiritual weapons? Maybe the ones that I'm currently not using or accessing. And I think, of course, you know, we need to be doing the work to study his word, right? In order to discern what God is saying to us, to attune ourselves to his voice so we know how he's leading us and even how he's prompting us to pray. So there's really like a dual responsibility here. Our first job is formation, spiritual growth, to grow in our knowledge of the Lord, to understand his character and his heart, to be rooted in our identity as daughters of God and truly begin to understand what that means. Because that's when we'll be able to fight best, because we'll be coming from a place of authority and identity. Now there's a second responsibility, I think, in my humble opinion, which is to support those around us, the people in our homes, the people we work with, our friends, our community. And we have to ask ourselves are we showing up equipped or are we showing up raggedy? Because sharpening one another matters. And we we need to sharpen each other, preferably like in the right way. If we haven't allowed ourselves to be pruned, developed, refined by fire, if we haven't done the work of growth, if we don't know yet how to speak truth in love, even when it's uncomfortable or not what someone wants to hear, then when that trumpet sounds, we may run to the wall, but we may run there and unintentionally cause harm instead of offering godly help, wise help. And I think this is why I'm passionate about Raya, to create a space where women are formed, being formed, and support it, because we're never done. We're never finished in our spiritual formation and growth. And that's why I think we need a place where we're building and guarding together, where we're learning how to fight in the spirit while staying rooted in love. And even if

Systems Shaken And Holy Courage

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Raya is your place or not, right? My prayer is still the same. That you would not carry your assignment alone. That you would find women who can hear the trumpet when you sound the alarm, and that you would be the kind of woman who knows how to run towards someone else when they need you. If you're experiencing opposition right now, I want to encourage you to read Nehemiah 4. Read the whole book if you can, just so that you have the full context. His life is truly fascinating. And every time I read it, I get something more from it. But I hope that as you read Nehemiah and especially chapter four, I hope it will remind you that it's God who fights our battles. And I know that that might seem a little cliche and like, yes, I know, Kelly, God fights my battles, but you don't know what these people are like on my job. But when we learn to rest truly in the fact that God fights our battles and that he will give us divine strategy to navigate whatever it is that we're in, I believe that there's so much beauty from it. And I and I also think it's important because on the flip side of that coin of, oh, God fights my battles, that doesn't mean that we sit on the couch and do nothing. So hear me when I say that. Or it's not my default. And so just know that when I say that God fights our battles, this doesn't mean that we take our hands off completely, but it really is about collaborating with the Lord and getting divine guidance and wisdom from Him on how we participate with what God is doing. And I think that's why I'm so passionate about us really refining our spiritual ears in this season. This world is crazy. Like this world is, I don't know. I mean, that's a conversation for another day. But there is a lot going on around us in our cities, our states, our country, and around

Discernment, Identity, And Action

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the world. There's a lot happening as it relates to systems being shaken. For several months now, the Lord has been highlighting to me Haggai chapter two, verse seven, where it talks about how God will shake the nations. And the nations is not just sort of geographic nations. I believe it includes the systems that are a part of our nations. Whether you're in America listening to this, Canada, or somewhere in Europe or the continent of Africa, when I look at the global news, so many of our systems, economic, educational, political, certainly, financial institutions, the church itself, so many of the major systems in the world are being shaken right now. And I think that's one of the reasons why it is imperative that we hear from God, that we attune to Holy Spirit, that we don't just hear from Holy Spirit, but that we respond accordingly. And that may look very different from the way that we would normally respond to something. I feel like most of the time it's going to look different because we know scripture tells us that God's ways are not like our ways and his thoughts are not like our thoughts. They are so much higher. And so typically, as we work through opposition or as we navigate chaos and uncertainty that is around us, now more than ever, we really need to sharpen our spiritual ears and we need to be ready to respond accordingly with courage, preferably also with community if we can find it. But I believe that as we grow in our ability to not just hear the voice of God, but also discern what he's asking us to do, how he wants us to participate and what he's doing within our spheres of influence. I believe that through the Lord, we can do what feels impossible, even when the work is hard, when the voices are loud, and the processes look nothing like what we imagined or even what we want. So as we get ready to close out, I hope that this is an encouragement to you to lean in even more to the Lord. I hope it's an encouragement to really grow in listening to the voice of God and recognizing it. Because I think sometimes we are hearing from God, we just don't actually recognize it. So as you hear the different stories of other women and men that I talk to in this season of In the Flow, I hope that you're gaining something from this that will help you like recognize, oh, I thought that was just me, or a thought that I had, or I didn't recognize

Reflection Prompts And Community CTA

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that the different coincidences that were occurring and the air quote random conversations that I would have, that those are all just different ways that Holy Spirit is speaking to you. So I hope that your eyes are also being opened, just as your ears are, as we explore what it means to be a listening leader. And I want to leave you with just a few reflection questions that you can journal about in your free time. Thank you again for being a part of this community. I hope that you will engage by liking this episode, subscribing to this show, and more importantly, sharing it with your community, um, sharing it with your peeps. Do all the things that the algorithm wants you to do so that more people can hear this. And I would really appreciate your support in growing who hears from in the flow. All right, so here we go. Here are a few closing reflection questions that I want to just encourage you to reflect on in your quiet time. So I'll read them a couple of times because I know that you may need to hear it more than once, and you can hit pause and write and then hit play again. So the first question is What am I building in this season that has been met with resistance or opposition? What am I building in this season that has been met with resistance or opposition? Next, who hears the trumpet when I need help? And whose trumpet am I being invited to respond to? So this question's all about your community. Who hears the trumpet when I need help? And whose trumpet am I being invited to respond to? And the last question is What spiritual tools or disciplines might God be inviting me to grow in right now? What spiritual tools or disciplines might God be inviting me to grow in right now? Thank you again for listening today. I hope this blesses you. And again, please share, like, and subscribe. Thank you for flowing with me today. If this episode strengthened your spirit and leadership, be sure to subscribe and share it with a friend. Remember, deeper clarity starts in community. Visit Iam KellyJohnson.com for free devotionals and to learn more about Raya Circles, where faith and leadership truly go together in the flow.