If you have ever worked
with a group of people, at work, in your community, neighborhood or even in your
family, few things can turn the situation sour like disgruntled people. Negative
talk, whining and complaining is infectious and deadly. It sucks the life out of
a group!
In Numbers 11 Moses records
the ‘wildfire’ of discontent spreading among the people. Now the people complained about their hardships in
the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused.
God was not about to suffer with fools like this so God gave a
warning. Then fire from the LORD burned
among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. All of
this takes place in the first verse!
Seed of discontent might
have been partially squashed, but they still smoldered.
A couple of verses later
Moses tells us that The rabble with them
began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said,
"If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt
This is even more
insidious. In the first case people complained to the Lord directly. Now the
sense of the story is that the “rabble” have gone underground. They are
jabbering in quiet one-on-one sessions or in smaller groups creating discontent
with their inciting and inaccurate talk.
I found myself pondering
how debilitating negative talk can be on a group or
family.
The text didn’t lead me to
any solutions. Unlike God, I cannot effect a natural disaster or bird migration
pattern. But I can learn from this lesson and ask myself if I engage in
debilitating chatter in the groups that I am in…
Lord,
especially during the hardest tasks and most difficult times, show me how to be
a positive force for good and for You. Help me to be a person who builds up not
tears down. Help me be a person who talks things through openly with truth,
rather than incites from the shadows. Help me to honor You, Oh Lord, by my
manner of living in addition to the words of my
mouth.
I pray this
in Jesus’ name. Amen
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