Thursday, September 15, 2022

September 15, 2022

Numbers 11: 11-15  (NIV)
[Moses] asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you . . . ? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? . . . Where can I get meat for . . . [them]? . . . I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now – if I have found favor in your eyes – and do not let me face my own ruin.”
It is okay to dialogue with God in raw, uncensored moments.*
There is no doubt that Moses had to put up with some situations that would try anyone’s patience. As a matter of fact, God was pretty put out with the same people who had Moses all stirred up. Verse one of this same chapter reports that when the people complained about their hardships, the Lord’s anger was aroused to the point that he sent a fire to consume some of the outskirts of the camp.

Righteous indignation is a valid emotion. No one would deny God’s right to feel it and act on it. I am not even condemning Moses’ little tantrum. But when you aren’t God and your complaints are “all about me,” shouldn’t you look for a more constructive use for such strong emotion?

While Albert A. Beach was working on the lyrics for a song, he was distracted by the vicious words coming from the couple next door. Their “hate words” were not conducive to inspiring the words to a love song, so the songwriter started “mirroring” the neighbors’ words into the opposite – and he was able to complete the lyrics to “I Wish You Love.”*

When we are tempted to whine or to react in anger, perhaps we could employ the songwriter’s little mirroring trick. What’s the opposite response to the annoying things that people do? Instead of complaining, could we count our blessings? For all that Moses had good reason to whine, wouldn’t a positive attitude be more likely to be an influence for positive change – not to mention being more attractive? There may be a fine line between being free to bring our problems to God and giving in to whining, but what a difference it makes when we choose the high road. Righteous indignation is God’s prerogative – not ours!
Our irritability never has its roots in the soil of righteousness.*

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