Read through Numbers 14 today. Got it? Okay, let's get started.
Ever hear that phrase, "One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch"? That's what I see here today. Except Israel ended up with ten bad apples, and they had a BIG bunch. Can you see it? Of the twelve men that were sent to spy out the Promised Land, ten denied that it was any good and because of those ten, the lone two dissenting men were ignored. The rest of the Israelites went right back to grumbling, apparently having learned nothing from the manna incident (just saying). In fact, they grumbled so much that they started wishing to go back to Egypt again! Wow, what a stiff-necked group of people!
But do you see how it started? Just a few questioning the will of God, just a few complaining, and suddenly, the whole of the nation is doing it. They start thinking they'd rather go back to bondage than enter this land God had promised them!
Does any of this sound familiar in our own lives? If not, it probably should; either that, or we're deluding ourselves. We as Christians must be so mindful of this. We grumble and complain about things all the time! See if any if this sounds like something you're guilty of (I'm raising my hand on a few, too!):
"The preacher was stepping on some toes today, wasn't he? Yep, that was a mighty good sermon."
"Can you believe he/she said that to me? After all, he'd/she'd better take the plank out of his/her own eye before getting the speck out of mine!"
"Ugh, I can't believe I was asked to teach/cook/supervise the children/mow the church lawn AGAIN! Don't they have anyone else to ask?"
"Now, you know I love the pastor, but some things just shouldn't be said from the pulpit."
Yep, that's right fellow churchgoers. All of these comments just stir up strife and reveal a sinful heart. Guess what? That makes you the bad apple! Yikes! Think about it. Just one of these comments to anyone else gets them to thinking, and maybe agreeing a little with you. Then they share it with a spouse, who shares it with a friend, and the next thing you know, the whole church is rotten. Yes, I said it.
Then we want to start making committees and programs and the pastor can't preach what the Holy Spirit is telling him to because he might offend someone. And so we return to our Egypt - back to the bondage of sin we go, and happily to. Man, we'll lock that door and throw away the key our own selves!
Friends, be aware of your attitudes and your words. Let them be edifying and encouraging instead of damaging and destructive. "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Don't be the bad apple that spoils the bunch.
Lord, thank You for being gracious and merciful even when we've sinned against You. Thank You for giving us the opportunity to repent instead of just leaving us to our just desserts. Forgive me for times when I have allowed resentment or subtle sins to creep into my heart and cause dissension in the body. Help me, I pray, to be especially mindful of my words and attitude, so that I might glorify You and build up Your church rather than working against You. Amen.
Ever hear that phrase, "One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch"? That's what I see here today. Except Israel ended up with ten bad apples, and they had a BIG bunch. Can you see it? Of the twelve men that were sent to spy out the Promised Land, ten denied that it was any good and because of those ten, the lone two dissenting men were ignored. The rest of the Israelites went right back to grumbling, apparently having learned nothing from the manna incident (just saying). In fact, they grumbled so much that they started wishing to go back to Egypt again! Wow, what a stiff-necked group of people!
But do you see how it started? Just a few questioning the will of God, just a few complaining, and suddenly, the whole of the nation is doing it. They start thinking they'd rather go back to bondage than enter this land God had promised them!
Does any of this sound familiar in our own lives? If not, it probably should; either that, or we're deluding ourselves. We as Christians must be so mindful of this. We grumble and complain about things all the time! See if any if this sounds like something you're guilty of (I'm raising my hand on a few, too!):
"The preacher was stepping on some toes today, wasn't he? Yep, that was a mighty good sermon."
"Can you believe he/she said that to me? After all, he'd/she'd better take the plank out of his/her own eye before getting the speck out of mine!"
"Ugh, I can't believe I was asked to teach/cook/supervise the children/mow the church lawn AGAIN! Don't they have anyone else to ask?"
"Now, you know I love the pastor, but some things just shouldn't be said from the pulpit."
Yep, that's right fellow churchgoers. All of these comments just stir up strife and reveal a sinful heart. Guess what? That makes you the bad apple! Yikes! Think about it. Just one of these comments to anyone else gets them to thinking, and maybe agreeing a little with you. Then they share it with a spouse, who shares it with a friend, and the next thing you know, the whole church is rotten. Yes, I said it.
Then we want to start making committees and programs and the pastor can't preach what the Holy Spirit is telling him to because he might offend someone. And so we return to our Egypt - back to the bondage of sin we go, and happily to. Man, we'll lock that door and throw away the key our own selves!
Friends, be aware of your attitudes and your words. Let them be edifying and encouraging instead of damaging and destructive. "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Don't be the bad apple that spoils the bunch.
Lord, thank You for being gracious and merciful even when we've sinned against You. Thank You for giving us the opportunity to repent instead of just leaving us to our just desserts. Forgive me for times when I have allowed resentment or subtle sins to creep into my heart and cause dissension in the body. Help me, I pray, to be especially mindful of my words and attitude, so that I might glorify You and build up Your church rather than working against You. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment