Provoked..

Some people are habitual complainers. They try and evade truth and action by raising objections over every trivial matter. If you are in a position of responsibility, such people can really be annoying. However, good leaders ignore them and reproach them only when required.

When faced with a certain crisis, the presence of a bunch of professional grumblers can really push our buttons. Eventually, we resurrect buried anger and pounce on them.

I admire people who can articulate wrong attitude with with insightful insults. Like Jesus called the 'holy hypocrites', "whitewashed tombs". Those are great words, isn't it?

Getting angry is seldom the problem. But getting angry at the point of provocation has consequences.

Simply because, at those times, we tend to speak hastily and act without much thought.

I'm reminded of a story,

History speaks of a guy who had to face a mamooth task of rescuing people from mass slavery and transporting them to a promising place, where they could have a future. The distance between the two places was almost close to 100 kilometres. Under normal cicumstances, this journey would have taken only a month by foot. However, the people this guy had to lead were fussy, uncooperative, ungrateful and negative, so it took them 40 years. No kidding.

At a particular point during their journey they faced with the crisis of water scarcity, and the people start whining again.

In the course of finding a solution, our leader-guy acts prudently at first. He contacts his boss, the greater Leader who's incharge of the whole project, and asks him for directions. Nevertheless he does not follow the exact instructions given to him because he's terribly mad at the people. In view of him being provoked, he overstepped the instructions, causing permanent damage to his leadership career.

The people got their water, but this unparalleled leader had to bear the brunt of his angry reaction. His boss who had always kept him in high regard, gave him a punishment that he would regret for the rest of his life.

We are most likely to be provoked when facing a low. So, it helps to stay away from the trouble makers in those times. Starve your temptation to talk. Hasty words pave way for hasty action. Focus on the problem, and after it is solved, maybe you can call for a mind-piece-giving meeting. Do not do it the other way round.

And now for the story in the original version,

The people cried out to Moses, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!". Moses cries out to his Master for help, God says "Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water."

Moses was frustrated and fed-up, he looks at his team and says, "Listen up!! rebels..I'll show you, how I can get water from this rock," and, he struck the rock hard twice. The water gushed out, and so did God's anger.

In God's response to Moses, he says, "You didn't trust me enough to honor me..."

A bunch of provoking negative people can destroy the fullness of our trust in God. We begin to react to them, instead of focussing our energy on solving the problem.

I leave you with something to chew on.

If you're facing a low point in your career, relationship, energy levels or health; Get blind to the fingers pointing at you, go deaf at the voices accusing you, and turn away from those discouraging you. It was God's plan to bring water out of the rock (without breaking it) and quench the thirst of the multitude. God has a purpose for all the rocks, in your life too. Pray about the rocks carefully, and find the solution within.

Find the blessing in the lost relationship, the poor health, the painful separation and the change in job roles. Don't strike your rock, don't get provoked and turn bitter towards people. A move that seems stupid to the rest of the world may be the only way to showcase your complete trust on God.

Until next time..

Keep listening........

*References

Numbers 20