Category: Complaining

3/31/2020 0 Comments

Numbers

The fourth book of the Bible is Numbers which is a translation of Arithmoi, from the Septuagint. It is titled as such because the book contains two census counts, numerous statistics, tribal and priestly figures, and other numerical data. The Hebrew name is included in the first sentence of the book and means “in the desert of ”; an accurate description of the book’s content, which follows the Israelites through almost forty years of desert wandering.[1]
The story began in the second year of the Israelites escape from Egypt, as they camped in the Wilderness of Sinai around 1444 BC. It ends 38 years later “in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho” (36:13) in 1406 BC.[2]

2/18/2020 0 Comments

Exodus

Rabbi Irving Greenberg in his article “Why The Exodus Was So Significant” wrote, “The Exodus transformed the Jewish people and their ethic . . . Christianity and Islam adopted the Exodus at their core, almost half the world is profoundly shaped by the aftereffects of the Exodus event.”

3/4/2019 1 Comment

An Email to Jesus

Meditation
Luke 15:2—And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!”

Our pastor recently received an anonymous email that was highly critical of himself and his executive pastor. As an elder, I can honestly share that this kind of message serves only to discourage leaders. The person criticizing picks apart whatever he or she disagrees with, is not part of a solution and hides behind a cloak of anonymity rather than come and personally share what is misunderstood. It is too easy to be critical. It is also immature to lob rocks from the other side of the hill.

4/26/2018 0 Comments

Hold Your Peace

I heard an excellent message from a pastor recently about not defending ourselves when we are betrayed or attacked. His point was that no matter what we say in defense we cannot undo the damage and we may actually make things worse. If we have done what is right and are slandered, lied about, or smeared unfairly, the best course of action is to continue to live our lives righteously and trust God for the results. If close friends ask what is happening, we may share with them . . . The point is: don’t retaliate, defend, or excuse ourselves.

This is not easy. To hold our peace when warred against is like watching mosquitoes take blood and not swatting them. Why would we do that?

3/7/2016 0 Comments

Be Careful What You Say

Coach Lou Holtzwas quoted as saying, “Never tell your problems to anyone...20% don't care and the other 80% are glad you have them.” Holtz has a great sense of humor; let’s just hope his findings are inaccurate! Most people don’t want to spend their time listening to others complain. As I write this, I recall a person I used to avoid taking phone calls from because his pattern was to grumble at great lengths about his circumstances. By the end of the call I was irritated. This person never seemed to be happy feeling only bad things were afoot.

8/3/2013

Frink Wrote an Email

Meditation
1 Peter 4:9—Be hospitable to one another without complaining.

Frink* wrote an email and sent it to the CEO, CFO and HRO of a major corporation. He complained that his wife Delilah worked in a toxic environment, that her supervisors were incompetent and mean-spirited and that the section was basically a clique that considered his wife a racist. Concerned with the possibility of unfavorable press and a lawsuit, even though Frink’s wife worked four departments below his level, the CEO directed Jeff the boss of Delilah’s boss to personally call Frink and listen to whatever he had to say.

8/8/2012 0 Comments

Grumbling

Meditation
Philippians 2:14,15—Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.

Harry is a phenomenal Command Sergeant Major. His dedication and his uncompromising zeal are inspiring. When I think of him I am reminded of Paul’s challenge to the Philippians in the passage above.

2/17/2011

Perversity

Have you ever tried to help someone only to be second guessed, accused of manipulating, or of having some hidden, evil agenda? I once had a leader who was quick to complain about his higher headquarters. Despite the faults he found in others, his performance was consistently weak. For his own betterment I removed him from his position. I shared with him my intentions and then explained why his behavior was detrimental to our organization.

4/3/2009

Grasshoppers

Meditation
Numbers 13:33—“We even saw the Nephilim there.” (The offspring of Anak were descended from the Nephilim.) “To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them.”

9/28/2007

Callous

Mote worked in the building for years. As I got to know him I was amazed at his disdain for women—particularly his own wife. He would ridicule her at every chance and belittle her publicly. He made her seem stupid. He complained of her shortcomings yet seemed clueless to his own failings. In fact, the more I got to know him the more I could appreciate the pain his wife must have endured. Perhaps most grievous, was knowing that he was unfaithful to her and completely uncaring.

3/12/2005

Insubordination

Insubordination is the oldest recorded sin. Lucifer resisted God’s authority. He then contaminated humanity through his seditious lies to Eve. Today the planet the Lord God made for His glory is pockmarked with contumacious, (obstinately disobedient), disregard for His rule.

1/29/2004

Excuses

Moses fled Egypt after murdering an Egyptian. He married a Midianite priest’s daughter and lived a simple life for decades tending his father-in-law’s sheep. One day God appeared to him out of a burning bush to appoint him as rescuer of his enslaved countrymen. God informed Moses that He was sending him to Pharaoh to win the release of the Israelites from Egypt. What an assignment! One would think that Moses, raised in a royal family and gifted with a great education, would have leaped at the opportunity to be a hero! Alas, he had other ideas. Whenever, the first word uttered is “But,” grab an umbrella because it’s about to rain excuses!

2/20/2003 0 Comments

Grudge

{Scene:  Outside the tent on a hot day in the desert Miriam and Aaron are engaged in an intense discussion.  I wonder if Numbers 12:1,2 sounded something like this.
Miriam:  “I’ve never liked his wife.”
Aaron:  “I know. She’s not one of us.  She’s a Cushite. And God said we weren’t to take foreign wives.”
Miriam:  “And how come Moses is always in charge?  God speaks through us.  Moses has too much authority . . .”

1/9/2003

Controllers

Sam walked from the studio into the sanctuary. The amplifier levels were set incorrectly and the sound in the room from the instruments was unbalanced. So he adjusted the levels on the soundboard and moved the amp volumes up to full power. He removed the old paper arrows taped to the board assigning each channel a specific level. Now the system sounded great. Sam was pleased he had helped the church.

5/20/1998 0 Comments

Complaining

Meditation
Numbers 14:1-4--Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night. All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron, and the whole community told them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and little children will become plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.

Photo used under Creative Commons from Rachel Maxey Miles