SEVEN TOXIC ATTITUDES TO AVOID IN THE WILDERNESS III

Avoid the following toxic attitudes like plagues if you want to have victory in the wilderness: –

2. Grumbling, Complaining & Murmuring.
Study the story of the children of Israel in Num. 21:1-9. “And when king Arad the Canaanite which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities; and he called the name of the place Hormah. And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” When they began to murmur and take the goodness of God for granted, they were punished.

Every grumbler is an ingrate. A practical example is the case of a woman who was miraculously cured of HIV. She was visibly transformed after series of deliverance prayers. When she went for her usual medical check up, her doctor confirmed her healing and her test confirmed that she was negative. Few years later, she paid me a visit in my office and because of a challenge in her life, she started grumbling, murmuring and complaining about the fact that she was of age to get married yet no suitor was coming. I cautioned her and advised her to continue to thank God for healing her assuring her that the same God who healed her of HIV is more than able to give her a husband. Her response was a very rude shock to me. She said, ‘Pastor, how are you sure that I had that illness in the first place?’ I screamed in unbelief. This is exactly how a lot of people behave; once they receive answers to their requests, they tend to trivialize it. It is a terrible toxic attitude to trivialize the mercies of God. The fact that you can sit down on your own without help, you can breathe freely without any obstruction, you can walk on your two legs, you can smell and swallow, you can taste, you can talk and be heard are thanksgiving points. How many times do you appropriate the goodness and mercies of God in your life? The only one you remember is the one he has not done. When I screamed in unbelief, the woman busted out in laughter. Unfortunately, not too long after this encounter, the sickness returned forcefully and aggressively.

Pray –

• Heavenly Father, I worship you. I thank you for your goodness and mercies towards me. Grant me the grace never to grumble, complain or murmur but to always be thankful for your grace in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen

TO BE CONTINUED……..