Coffee With The Lord

Spiritual leaders have been (and often are) favorite targets of critical analysis and unjust criticism! It’s been that way for a long, long time… How they dress, their hygiene and grooming, their idiosyncrasies, their spouse, their children, something they say (or fail to say), where they live, what they drive, issues of personal style… You name it, all favorite targets for microscopic evaluation and negativity.

Question is…. Is the Lord pleased?

There’s an account in the Bible that was part of my reading this morning (Numbers 12) that should cause caution! In fact, it even involved criticism of a “family member” who was a spiritual leader.

Moses’ sister, Miriam, and Aaron, his brother, had issues with his spouse… “that Cushite woman!” they said. It didn’t stop there either… They were jealous of Moses’ position and influence… “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?”

Moses was NOT the kind of guy who fought back and sought to defend himself! In fact Numbers 12:3 declares, “Moses was very meek – more than all people who were on the face of the earth!”

But God heard their unjust criticism, and it angered Him! … And God defended Moses! “The Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting” and He summoned Aaron and Miriam to come forward! He confronted them and defended Moses (read it for yourself in Numbers 12:6-8) He said, “Why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

The Bible says, “The anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and He departed… When the cloud removed from over the “Tent of Meeting,” behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow!” Aaron acknowledged their sin and plead with Moses for intercession! And “Moses cried to the Lord, ‘O God, please heal her – PLEASE!’” And the Lord did heal her.

So just a word of caution… We need to be careful in our criticism of spiritual leaders! Our attitudes can be more poisonous and lethal than their perceived weaknesses and errors! In fact, our criticism may simply be a coverup for jealousy and envy. And if this account in Scripture teaches anything, it is that God is not afraid to defend His devoted servants (even imperfect ones)!

Believe me, Intercessory prayer is a much better approach! And one more word of caution… Guard your heart – keep watch over your attitudes. Oh Lord, I want to live that way!!!

“I will turn their mourning into joy! I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow…and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord!” (From Jeremiah 31:13-14)

Sometimes Christians act like little children – “tattle tales” on a playground – they run to their teacher and say… that group or person over there (as they point emphatically with their “spiritual” finger) don’t believe exactly like we do, they don’t play by the same “spiritual” rules, they’re not doing the Lord’s work just like we do it! Someone needs to stop them!! They’ll ruin everything!!”

How do you think the Lord responds when we act like that?

Good question! Do you think He says, “Thank you for that important information! You’re exactly right! I’m going to go over and put a stop to what they’re doing ‘in my Name’ and on my behalf right now!! Or does He respond with a rebuke to the “Tattletale” – just like a parent or teacher sometimes does on the playground?

Well, fortunately we’re not left in doubt… There is a situation just like that in the Bible…

“John spoke up, ‘Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn’t in our group!’ Jesus wasn’t pleased. ‘Don’t stop him! No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down. If he’s not our enemy, he’s an ally. Why, anyone by just giving someone a cup of water in my name is on our side! Count on it – God will notice!’ On the other hand, if you give one of these simple, childlike believers a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t! You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck!” (from Mark 9:38-42 the Message)

Just gotta say, I don’t want to behave like a spiritual “tattletale” – somehow I don’t think the Lord has changed his attitude about it. I admit, there are some things that really matter – like the truth of “the Gospel”! But simply complaining about the fact that a fellow Christian isn’t in “our group” or differences in “ministry style” or making a big deal about minor differences of in doctrine, won’t win the approval of the Lord.