All you need is love!

Hey friends,
I just read this passage in the Bible, and WOW! It's "kickin' my tail" as my sweet southern friends might say.

In Exodus 5 -- the story of the bricks and straw -- Good old Moses politely asked Pharaoh to let his people, the Israelite slaves, take a three day break to worship God. Pharaoh said no. Then, Pharaoh told his Egyptian henchmen to make the Israelites gather their own straw for brick-making, without lowering the daily brick quota. Dude had a serious attitude problem!

The Israelites couldn't maintain the workload and begged Pharaoh to cut them some slack. Pharaoh refused, calling them "lazy." Then the Israelites blamed Moses and Aaron for getting them into this predicament. The story ultimately ends with God sending plagues on Egypt until Pharaoh finally relents and lets the Israelites go, not just for three days, but forever. (See Exodus 12)

I've read the story of Exodus many times, but I never noticed before how much I am like the Israelites, blaming others for my problems. I wake up in a bad mood -- and instead of praying for deliverance (or at least peace), I treat myself as a helpless slave to my gloom and doom. Not only that, I subject my family to it -- over-reacting to little things because I'm hostage to my mood. I'm disorganized (really!!!!) and instead of asking God to help me become organized, I "freak out" when I can't find the car keys or that important paper that I left somewhere (really, it was here.... FIND IT!!!!).

Can you relate? Does your family endure your mood that "one week of the month?" Do your kids wonder which mom will show up today -- the fun one or the taskmaster?

After seeing how ineffective the Israelites were, I'd like to choose a different course of action!

In Ephesians 4:1-6, Paul says, " I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit -- just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call -- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Instead of blaming, God wants us to:

1. Walk in our calling. The Israelites forgot that they were God's chosen people, focusing instead on their circumstances. Instead of blaming others, we should remember that we are God's chosen as well, thanking Him for the plan He has for our lives -- even circumstances we don't particularly like.

2. Be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love. We don't know how different the Israelites' situation would have been if they had whined and complained less and prayed more. I do know that when I praise God, in spite of my problems, they resolve more quickly.

3. Remember we're all on the same team. The Israelites forgot that Moses was on their team. We, the modern church, seem to forget we're on the same team too. Complaining within the church -- whether against our leaders or each other -- gets us nowhere. Complaining wears us down and tears us apart -- pulling our eyes off God's plan.

The same is true for families. Complaining gets us nowhere worth going!

How about if we learn quicker than the Israelites? Let's agree to complain less about circumstances, leaders and each other and live in love instead. Let's stop focusing on the situation and remember God has a plan.

As the Beatles would say, "All "we" need is love..."