Forgoing our rights

“But the earlier governors – those preceding me – placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.” Nehemiah 5:15
Nehemiah had many issues that needed reforming when he travelled from Persia to Jerusalem. In Persia he was the king’s cupbearer, and thus had proved himself to be trustworthy. The king had appointed him governor over Jerusalem, which came with it special rights and privileges. Apparently, Nehemiah could have required an allotment of food from the people, because of his position. But he did not (Neh. 5:18).
Nehemiah wasn’t in Jerusalem to satisfy his own ego. His concern was not being the leader over the people; his concern was about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem so that the city would no longer be in disgrace (Neh. 1:17).
Nehemiah didn’t need any extra food. He had plenty already – as it was, he shared what he had with 150 others (Neh. 5:17). He also knew that the people from whom it would be taken were struggling to provide for themselves, since there was a famine (Neh. 5:3). Worst of all, if he had insisted on this, it would have tarnished his witness before the people. Nehemiah was a godly man, and he says, “out of reverence for God I did not act like that” (Neh. 5:15).
We read how the apostle Paul had the same attitude: “If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ” (1 Cor. 9:11-12).
What is our attitude towards this? Do we always insist on our rights, no matter if it creates difficulty for other people? Or do we have an attitude of reverence for God, which directs our decisions in these things, so that we are always seeking to please Him and to not cause anyone to stumble?