WE CAN DO IT THE EASY WAY… OR THE HARD WAY

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Israelites left Mount Sinai with an eleven-day journey ahead of them to reach the borders of the Promised Land.

That simple “eleven-day” journey ended up taking “forty years.”

This is an example of “doing things the hard way.” What should have been easy turned into a long and difficult journey because of the wrong attitudes.

“The good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.”

Proverbs 13:15

GOD IS MORE INTERESTED IN OUR CHARACTER THAN OUR PROGRESS.

Take a look at these attitudes and make sure you are not delaying your destiny:

· COMPLAINING ABOUT EVERYTHING.

As soon as Israel left Sinai, they began to complain. They had been there, in the “glory” of the mountain, but ended up in the barren wilderness for the rest of their lives.

Unappetizing food was where their detour began. Their imagination made them remember the delicious food they had in Egypt, not to mention that they were slaves there, their backs were beaten, and they were treated as slaves.

Complaining brings you to a “full stop.” God responded to their complaints about the manna by giving them so much quail that it came out of their noses.

“We can do it the easy way… or the hard way.”

· CRITICIZING LEADERSHIP

Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ siblings, began to criticize the wife he had chosen.

There was only one problem: it was none of their business. Besides, Moses was the leader chosen by God who had brought them out of Egypt.

Suddenly, Miriam became leprous.

The whole nation had to wait seven days while God healed her and allowed her to return to the camp.

… Once again, “We can do it the easy way… or the hard way.”

· BECOMING DISCOURAGED BY BAD REPORTS

Israel sent twelve spies to explore the Promised Land. They returned with a report that it was “impossible.”

The people were furious with Moses and wanted to stone him and Aaron. God decided to make them spend one YEAR in the wilderness for every DAY the spies had spent in the land: forty years.

Let us be free from all complaining; complaining is the language of hell.

Let us be free from all criticism and murmuring.

Let us be free from all fear; fear paralyzes you.

All of these things bring you to a complete stop and cause you to miss your destiny.

“We can do it the easy way… or the hard way.”

Let us be very careful about rebellion, about sowing division, or about speaking badly of godly and humble leaders whom God has placed.

Finally, if we are leaders, I would like us to pay close attention to this.

Moses led like no other leader for thirty-eight years.

However, one day he lost his temper. When he tried to get water from the rock, he struck it twice when God had told him to “speak to the rock.” (Numbers 20:8, Numbers 20:11)

God had to cancel his entrance into the Promised Land.

No one is free from having a bad attitude, not even leaders.

“Our character protects our calling.”

Let us never forget this: “We can do it the easy way… or the hard way.”

Let us remain humble. There is no need to turn eleven days into forty years.