Throughout the history of entertainment, there have always been naysayers.

In theatre-obsessed Elizabethan England, people commonly commented throughout an entire performance, as eager to be seen and heard as to experience the play. In America, Vaudeville performers often found themselves playing to loud and disrespectful patrons — some of whom would pelt them with rotten produce. As recently as the 20th century, a segment of society earned a rather nice living by booing performances unless paid to stop.

In rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, Nehemiah had his own hecklers to deal with. These were people who didn’t necessarily know the Jews, didn’t care for them or for what they were doing, and just wanted to criticize and oppose them.

While respecting the danger enough to protect himself and others, Nehemiah also understood who they were and treated them accordingly. They were just some critics sitting in the “cheap seats” and the best thing to do was ignore them.

Constructive criticism can be a good thing, but it only comes from people who genuinely care about what you are doing. Whether you’re doing God’s work or anything else important to you, ignore the hecklers. They don’t deserve your time and attention.