Ancient Venting (Must Read for Pastors!)
In Exodus 16, we see significant– very sophisticated insight into the human heart. Fellow pastors, we really must learn that anger from the very people who we serve– complaining, venting, charges, gossip, slander, etc. are almost never to be taken at face value. Before we can forgive false charges and reconcile, we need to understand what happened. So instead of reacting tit for tat– which is what my heart yearns to do– to restore my dignity and reputation– we should take a few deep breaths, calm down and then be open to doing some relatively objective due diligence. We must develop better means and approaches to dig deeper into the heart motivations of the antagonist, the perpetrator.
So often we –victims– quickly take matters to heart– ‘that person hates me’, ‘I have done something wrong’, ‘I am a bad person’– a bad minister!– etc. But honestly, so often the accusations and grumblings and complaints are not even about us much at all.
This is one of the lessons that God teaches Moses and Aaron as the Sons of Israel wander out into the dangerous lifeless wilderness. By nature, the wilderness is an uncomfortable dangerous place for people. People are naturally uncomfortable in such a place– they have no oars in the boat, no strings to pull, no way to fix things that they are used to fixing on their own (such as hunger, thirst, nature, the heat). It is a frightening place– and even more frightening since they had just been cast — arguably willingly?— upon a God that they knew very little about– only that He was vast and powerful, more powerful by far than their previous ‘gods’ the Egyptians. So as they ventured out into the desert, their hearts begin to naturally spew out crap. Fear and being in a place where we are out of control gives birth to a vast plethora of excrement from within the bowels of our heart. This guano is generic– it does not need to do resume search on potential victims– it just dumps on whomever is in the room at the time– the higher in position– the better. Leaders, ministers, managers, pastors, Moses will do just fine. On farms, there is a device called a ‘manure spreader’ that has long revolving tongs that fling cow manure all over a field. That is what fearful, insecure hearts do that are forced into a situation where they are out of control– or dependent upon others (even God!).
It happens very quickly. It only took three days after a huge paradigm shifting victory for these former slaves to begin to grumble (15:24) against Moses (as if he hasn’t been through enough– on their behalf!), and then again in 16:2 (though this time against Aaron too). What was at the root? Fear, hunger, being put in a place where they cannot control anything– they cannot control their hour to hour fate much less their year to year lives. Fear, fear fear.
And so, God ministers to the oh so fragile Moses and Aaron. They get a tremendous bit of insight from conversations with God. And Moses said,
“When the Lord gives you [the people] in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against Him– what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”
Leaders, ministers, pastors, priests, so often the people that you are trying to serve– at often great sacrifice to yourselves– will freely grumble, nominally against you. Maybe it is partially deserved (after all, we are in the same wilderness and have the very same hearts)– but often their real case is against God.
This is –so often– what real people do when we are ‘forced’ to give up control of our existence and throw ourselves upon His arms– again and again. And so often, He leads us straight into a wilderness– a very insecure, dangerous place. What comes out of our hearts in the wilderness? Fear, redeemed slaves flailing hard to control our path– fear, fear and more fear.
I get it. So often it is really not about us. All we can do is help others, and ourselves to see that our hearts are often not our friends. We can’t fix their hearts, much less ours– but together we can lean into the gospel of Jesus Christ, and access that perfect love that casts out fear.
Then we become once again reconcilers.
Comment by: michael
01/25/10 1:40 PM
I clearly remember when this certain fit of frustration hit…BAM..and being taken aback by its strength. I had to pause and acknowlege how close to the surface it was, and marvel at how little it took to cause it to…explode. Wow..who or what was I directing this rage at? Certainly not the uncooperative inanimate object that was refusing to cooperate….no…it was, and is GOD..the creator of all things..including this broken moment. After all…my pastor was encouraging me to right a psalm…and be honest with God.
I just remember realizing that these moments were pictures of me shaking my fist at God. For what…allowing?..all this brokeness in my world. It was at this notion that I also then realized how much I can take out my frustration on other people…especially those closest to me. This was a very empowering and sobering realization for me, (and I now know disempowering for the enemy who I believe takes much pleasure from my misplaced, projected frustration and anger …and my responce to it when seen in others). My inner dialogue is more and more psalm like. Why God, Why……ah but you Lord have made me, and revealed yourself to me, and my days are…..so thank you Lord! Over ande over again…
“I see this law at work”…The more I know myself, the less I am able to judge others beyond acknowleging their need for grace like me!
In His Grace
Michael
Comment by: Soviet
06/8/10 12:57 PM
http://rel” rel=”nofollow”>Хм…..…
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