Leadership has it’s moments. One old time pastor said, “in ministry there is never two good days in a row.” It was said with tongue in cheek, but an argument could be made regarding it’s truth. One day everything goes great. Tasks are accomplished, decisions are made effectively, plans are executed with precision… the next day it’s like running up the down escalator that’s been set on high speed.
We can learn an important lesson from a mistake that Moses made after a season of success.
After dispensing all the new laws that the Israelites were to live by and continuing to travel toward the Promised Land, Moses and the Israelites arrive in the Wilderness of Zin, specifically Kadesh. Things had been going well up to that point. In the first month at Kadesh though, things went south. After the long journey, the people were tired. Moses was tired. Then Miriam died. We can only imagine the emotional drain that those months had on Moses.
And then those followers started doing what they seemed to do best… whining about what they didn’t have anymore. They attacked Moses and Aaron and began to complain.
Moses and Aaron seemed to respond properly and went to seek the face of God and what he would have them do (Numbers 20:6). God gives them specific direction and Moses almost executes the directive properly. Instead of “speaking to the rock” he “strikes the rock with the staff.” But he also let the people know what he thought of them, “You rebels!”
Obviously, not the best way of handling it. There is a lesson for us in this story, besides: Do exactly what God tells you to do.
When you are emotionally spent. Especially after a season of ‘successful’ ministry. You need to be especially careful of tomorrow. When you are emotionally spent, you are susceptible to letting the people control you. Moses essentially abdicated his role as leader when he reacted to the leaders instead of responding to them the way God had instructed him to.
We, as the leader, always pay the greatest price when we react to those who are complaining. Neither Moses, nor Aaron, were allowed to enter the Promised Land because of this situation. Be careful leader, you reaction today may prevent you from seeing the fulfillment of your God-given vision!
