Deal with others well (3)

Aaron and Miriam had been criticising Moses: the guy God had chosen, anointed and worked through to lead his people. They didn't realise it, but when they had their anti-Moses moan, they set themselves against God. When Aaron realised what he'd done and that there was no wriggling out of it, he confessed straight away: 'We were fools to do such a thing' (Numbers 12:11 TLB). Aaron did the smart thing - he recognised what he'd been doing and repented of it, fast.

Could he have done otherwise? Could Aaron have said, 'Fine then! I've had enough. I'm off'? Maybe, but he'd certainly have been saying goodbye to his relationship with God, too. Aaron recognised that he wanted that clean-slate forgiveness with God for his future, and realised just how much he'd been damaging that relationship. By being critical of Moses, he'd already turned away from God.

How do we learn from Aaron's mistake? Oswald Chambers wrote, 'Whenever you're in a critical temper, it's impossible to enter into communion with God.' So, when we're tempted to get critical, slam on the brakes and check in with God: 'Lord, how do you see this situation? Can you give me the grace to deal with this person well?'



So what now? Next time you're about to say something about the way someone is acting, stop. Why do you want to say it? Would saying this be a loving thing for both God and this person? Then decide what you should do.





— SCRIPTURE —

'Who are you to judge your neighbour?' James 4:12 NIV
— SOULFOOD —

Amos 5:18-9:15, Matt 14:22-36, Ps 121, Pro 14:13-16