Complain or Compliment

Numbers 14: ⁹ “But don’t refuse to obey him. And don’t be afraid of the people of the land. We will swallow them up. The Lord is with us. So nothing can save them. Don’t be afraid of them.”

¹⁰ But all of the people talked about killing Joshua and Caleb by throwing stones at them.

Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting. All of the people of Israel saw it. ¹¹ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “How long will these people make fun of me? How long will they refuse to believe in me? They refuse even though I have done many miraculous signs among them. ¹² So I will strike them down with a plague. I will destroy them. But I will make you into a greater and stronger nation than they are.”

============

Slander was the weapon of choice in the corporate environment. I didn’t even think I was using it because I had convinced myself I was right in the situation. We sat in a room and came up with rebuttals and retorts to the other groups’ desires.

When I presented our desires after the other group pitched theirs I knew I had the upper hand. To my dismay Senior Management said, both ideas would not be funded and they were going to merge our fighting departments.

• Complaints are despicable.
• Complaints are low.
• Complaints are excuses wrapped in situations that I want my way and I’m not getting it.

GOD knows when I’m throwing a tantrum.  HE knows my motives and doesn’t take kindly to my complaints especially when I have fooled myself into thinking I am right.  With blind eyes I blurt out a complaint about what someone else is doing and I forget to look at how I am contributing to the situation.

• GOD loves when I accept HIS plan no matter how difficult it may look.
• GOD loves when I listen to HIM and can face difficult tasks without disobeying HIS ways.
• GOD loves when I use compliments instead of conflict to accomplish HIS goals.
• GOD loves when I let HIM do my fighting.

“My ways are not your ways” says the LORD. HE has incredible plans for me because HE has forgiven me, but HE doesn’t like when I treat HIS grace as if I deserve it. HE has blessed me thoroughly and I am eternally grateful!

• Are you complaining about something or someone?
• Have you lost your grace?
• Have you asked GOD to manage the situation no matter how bleak it looks?
• Won’t you let GOD direct the situation?