Do You Have This Very Dangerous, Very Contagious Disease?

What is this very dangerous, very contagious disease? Criticism! Yes, criticism (or you might call it complaining.) 

In my weekly seminar I have been conducting with some ladies in my town, going through "The Master's Masterpiece" with them, we were discussing the chapter about commitment. One of the ladies, Jewell, shared about teaching the 4 and 5 year olds in the Sunday morning Bible class about the account in Numbers 12:1-16 of Aaron and Miriam.

They, Aaron and Miriam, were being very critical of Moses for marrying a Cushite woman. They were also critical of God for how He was speaking to the Israelites through Moses. Because of this criticism, God said in verse 4, "Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting." I don't know about you, but that would make be afraid. Do you remember as a child being called out by your parents? You knew you were in trouble!

Then in verse 5, Aaron and Miriam were called again and they stepped forward. Can you just imagine what they were thinking? "Uh-oh, we have done it now. We are in trouble." Were those your thoughts as a child when you were "found out" for doing something you weren't supposed to?

In verses 6-8, God shares why He chose Moses - he was faithful in all His house. God didn't speak to Moses in a vision, He spoke mouth to mouth. In verse 9, it tells us God departed from them and in verse 10, when the cloud was lifted, Miriam was white with leprosy. (Some of you may wonder why just Miriam, that's not for us to know - that's not the reason for this post. It's one of those questions we get to ask God when we get to heaven.) And, being a female, I know how I can go on and on and on while my husband patiently listens. What's important is what happened because of Miriam's criticism - she was struck with leprosy and put out of the camp for 7 days. 

Are you grasping this very dangerous, contagious disease called criticism? As my friend Jewell was preparing for this lesson, it dawned on her that God saw criticism as so dangerous, that he struck Miriam with another disease, a very contagious disease, to get her away from everyone else. He knew her critical words, her critical spirit, her critical attitude could destroy everyone she came in contact with. God knew He had to stop it immediately. Being struck with leprosy meant she had to be quarantined from everyone else. She had to be put out of the camp! This was how God saw as the best way to help her and everyone else realize how dangerous criticism is.

As I thought about this, I wondered how many times should I have been put outside the camp for being critical? And, before I go any further with this article, I want to ask your forgiveness for the times you have heard me be critical. As I was writing "The Master's Masterpiece" I was brought to my knees when I realized how critical I had been of God's creation, my body, my masterpiece. Thankfully, He didn't strike me with leprosy; and, thankfully, I know He has forgiven me.

What about you? Have you ever been critical of others or yourself? 

I also began to wonder how many churches, businesses, families, friendships and relationships have been destroyed due to criticism. How many of us would be put out of the "camp", our worship service, our place of work, etc. for being critical? Thankfully, God doesn't work that way. Instead, He teaches us through His Word about Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control in Galatians 5:22,23. At the end of verse 23, He says, "against such things there is no law." 

We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to "encourage and build one another up." 

Hebrews 10:24 tells us to "think of ways to stir up one another to love and good works." Wow, just the opposite of being critical! Imagine, just imagine, what life would be like when we choose to "think of ways" to stir one another up for good works!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us what love is - read and study. Ask God for wisdom, James 1:5, to guide you to having the loving heart He wants you to have.

Criticism, a very dangerous, very contagious disease. The prescription for overcoming this disease? God and His Word. Now that's a prescription you won't have to be afraid of.