The People Rebel
"That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?"
I just got spiritually punched in the stomach 3 times within the past 24 hours. At our bible study on Thursday night we all went around the room and openly shared with everyone one area of our life that showed how our unrighteous pride comes out. One of the ladies in our group talked about how frustrated she can get when her schedule gets thrown out of whack. Body blow #1. I often get frustrated by the wrenches that get thrown into the intricately laid and painstakingly planned, plumbing of my life. (Ok, that was a little bit over descriptive, but you get my point right?!) Whether it is a simple plan of going from my bedroom to the kitchen in a beeline for the cereal, or a more complex plan like how I want to lose weight (cut out some cereal maybe!?)...no matter how grandiose or minute, if my plan doesn't go 'according to plan' then I am frustrated and get bitter. My wife and I like to chastise each other in these moments (light-heartedly of course!) with the term 'Marah' which in the old testament meant 'bitter'. When we see each other getting all huffy, we say 'Don't be Marah!' It is a joking way to remind each other to not go down that road, not to allow little things to get me frustrated. Oh how I wish it was that easy. A little joke here and there and I am convicted of my sin and make all the changes necessary...oh to have that softness of heart..but I digress...I'm getting into a whole other subject....
Back to the story...We got home that night and I decided to have a little time in God's Word before bed. I read the above verse because that was the daily reading in the 'Chronological Bible in a Year' and out of nowhere comes a haymaker! Body blow #2. Oh how I complain! "I'm so tired." "I don't feel good". "If only I had such and such career, or had or more money..." Blah- blah- blawdy- blah- blah. Just hearing my own voice as I replay past complaints in my head, makes me want to throat punch myself! I can get so easily out of touch with how blessed I am that it is unsightly and ghastly. (How about those descriptive words!!!) As is common place with me, unfortunately, I didn't totally get it the first time, or the second time, so the hits kept on coming! I was getting hit so hard, I had no defense. Go Holy Spirit go! He had me on the ropes and he moved in to finish me off!The next morning I received an email with a link to Jon Bettale's blog postings that he uses to keep us up-to-date on his wife Sue, who is currently undergoing treatment for Leukemia. He stated in his posting that Sue was having so much pain in the aftermath of her bone marrow transplant that she could barely endure it. Yet she never complained. Body blow #3 and down goes Jason. Knocked out spiritually. I was so convicted that all I could do was sit there in a sort of beaten stupor. I felt like I kicked right in the teeth. Here is Sue Bettale, fighting Leukemia, going through pain that I have never known, and Lord willing never will, and she wasn't complaining. No, she was grateful for each day. Each day was awesome because it meant she was still alive, still fighting. I get bent out of shape because I don't get to rest, because there is too much to do at the house, because things aren't going how I expect them to. I bet Sue would like to have my 'problem' right now. I bet there are alot of people who would like to have my 'problem'. Wow, how easy it is to lose touch.
What it really comes down to is perspective. I lose it so quickly because I want what I want when I want it. Not unlike my two year old, when she is undergoing hunger pangs, "I want! I want! I want!!" I bellow to my Father in heaven. Yet, if I really look at it, I already have it. I have been so thoroughly blessed that it is ridiculous. Ludicrous even! God has truly given me more than I could ever ask for or imagine. I bet if we all took the time to sit down and really think about it, we could say the same. For me, and really for all of us, it's time to quit complaining, whether verbally or in our hearts, and really take stock of just how blessed we really are. The floodgates have been opened, yet I fear most of us have missed it. We were so focused on specific droplets, we missed the tidal wave. What about for you? Let's resolve to never take our blessings for granted and to not let each other complain.
Philippians 2:14-15 (New International Version)
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe...
Love in the Lord of all blessings,
Jason
No comments:
Post a Comment