As a child I hated doing dishes. I shared the job with my older sisters. One day my parents weren’t home and my sister told me to do the dishes. “No!” I snapped. She promptly slapped me. I don’t blame her for doing it. I had tried her patience—almost daily—with my whining about dishes. Since our parents were gone she was in charge, so she took matters into her own hands.
Other people’s children can be tough to deal with. It’s easy to see what their parents are doing wrong. “If you were my kid . . .” is a line most of us have uttered. The fact is, they aren’t our kids. Because of that we don’t have the deep love and understanding for them that their parents have. Thus we think up harsh lectures or swift punishments we believe will change their behavior.
Moses Knows Best
Moses must have had a moment like that. God told him how to give the children of Israel water. It was a way that would honor him as God. It would further connect the Israelites with his fatherly love. But the Israelites grumbled and complained to Moses. To get what they wanted they started the familiar cry, “We want to go back to Egypt.” Moses reacted. For a moment he forgot whose children they were. In essence he said, “If they were my kids, here’s what I’d do.” And he did it.
Letting God Lead
What causes leaders today to follow Moses’ example? Could it be a similar scenario? In your church do you spend more time reminiscing about the good old days when church was done “right” rather than about living for God today? When problems and concerns arise, are leaders approached lovingly, or are concerns cloaked in ultimatums and threats? God loves and understands us. He knows what we need. Let him work within the leadership of his church. No one likes to be slapped. Think of healthy ways to work with your leaders so they, in turn, can listen to God’s voice and act wisely instead of acting and reacting outside God’s direction. |L
Dianne McIntosh lives in Sweet Home, Oregon with her husband John and her daughter Annalee. Dianne works with the Oregon Christian Convention doing publicity and program development.
