ENCOURAGEMENT GOES A LONG WAY
Moses was a man called by God into a great ministry. It was moving at a great speed but gradually decelerated as the murmuring and complains of the people he was leading became so frequent.
I picture Moses as a lonely intermediary between an angry God and a sinning, nagging Israelites.
Something was missing throughout the time of Moses, some thing very vital to us even now, some thing that no one is beyond regardless of status, some thing that we need as humans to keep going in life. Moses missed encouragement, a little bit of kind words here and there, nobody said a prayer for him, nobody cared to know how he was really doing even when he said ‘fine’.
Moses was alone. And God already said it is not good that a man be alone.
Do you know why?
Cause it’s easy to get bored alone, it’s easy to give up and throw in the towel when you are alone, you can’t cry and console yourself when you are alone, you don’t really enjoy true joy alone all by yourself. And by alone, I do not mean having no one around you, that’s just the other side to alone. Alone can also mean having lots of people around and yet, nothing seems to be changing because one can be alone in his financial struggles, alone going through divorce, alone in his failures, alone in his sickness, alone trying out that new idea, alone building that business, alone in depression, alone in frustration.
Because the truth is Moses’ mistake was borne out of none other but frustration!
May I ask, what are you doing to your leader or boss?
Sitting around and murmuring against him? Finding his faults and adding to his faults?
In fact, forget boss, what are you doing to your neighbours?
Are you that one stop person to finding encouragement and getting inspired.
Or are you that ‘it’s not gonna work’, ‘you’re too young’, ‘I know someone who tried it, it failed.’, ‘you can’t…’, ‘you don’t have the connection’, ‘you don’t have all it takes’, ‘Just forget it.’ person?
If yes, then you are missing one of the key reasons why you are still alive today. When God made Eve for Adam, he didn’t say ‘wife’ (it was Adam who took the friendship to another level). God said companion, he said friend, he said helper! (Genesis 2: 18)
Meaning to Adam’s loneliness, he provided a friend!
See, Moses didn’t achieve it all, in fact he was out of the picture too soon. He had a great calling but he couldn’t take it to the end, I mean, not with all of these:
- ‘And they said to him,’Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharoah and in the sight of his servants. - Ex. 5: 21
- And Moses spoke before the Lord saying, ‘the children of Israel have not heeded me…’ - Ex. 6: 12
- ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? - Ex. 14: 12
- 'Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying,'let us alone they we may serve the Egyptians than we should die in the wilderness." - Exodus 14:11-12
- ‘... For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’ - Ex. 16: 3
- " And the people murmured against Moses and said, why is it you have brought us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and livestocks with thirst?" - Exodus 17:3
- ‘The people complained...Numbers 11: 1
- ‘Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses...Numbers 12:1
- ‘And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron… and they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.’- Number 14:1
- ‘They gathered together against Moses and Aaron…’ - Numbers 16:3
- ‘All the congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron saying, ‘you have killed the people.’ - Numbers 16:41
- ‘So they gathered against Moses and Aaron… and the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: ‘if only we had died when our brethren died…’ - Numbers 20: 2 - 5
It seems pretty much to me that all the children of Israel ever did was to sit around and murmur and complain and criticize poor Moses who was pouring so much to see them all at the expected end.
Moses was alone.
There are several reasons why people do not try at all or stop halfway. One of these reasons is definitely discouragements, complaints and murmuring from people.
We have been instructed by God to LOVE, one sure way to love is to be a source of strength and inspiration to people with our words seasoned with grace and salt. (Col. 4: 16)
Because when we do, the unbelievable happens!
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The children of Israel realized their murmuring will just keep them stuck in the desert. They decided to try encouraging, but by then Moses was no more, they now have Joshua.
Through out the ministry of Joshua, encouraging words from God and the Israelites kept flowing:
- ‘But Joshua, the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel inherit it. - Deut. 1: 37
- ‘Be strong and of good courage… for the Lord your God, he is the one who goes with you,’ - Deut 31: 5- 6.
- ‘Be strong and of good courage…’ - Deut. 31: 23
- ‘Be strong and of good courage…’ - Joshua 1: 6
- ‘Be strong and of good courage…’ - Joshua 1: 9
- ‘We will heed to you and never rebel against you… be strong and of good courage.’ - Joshua 1: 16- 18 (paraphrased)
- ‘Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed..’ - Joshua 8: 1
- ‘Do not fear them…’ - Joshua 10: 8
- ‘Do not be afraid because of them…’ - Joshua 11: 6.
AND GUESS WHAT?
JOSHUA CONQUERED 31 KINGS, MOSES MANAGED TO DO 2.
THEY GOT INTO THE CANAANLAND AND IT WAS INDEED FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY, ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE.
When you encourage someone, you get a share of the milk and honey too!
Don’t you think now is the time to reach out to the girl who’s given up on understanding maths? And that little boy that’s learning to ride a bicycle? How about that single mom with two stubborn boys in your neighbourhood? And really, and that your friend that rebuilding her failed business, think of creative ways to cheer her on. He’s been failing JAMB consistently, let him know you believe in him. And how about me that inconsistent with my blogging, you can encourage me, you know.
IT IS NOT GOOD FOR A MAN TO BE ALONE, so He made YOU as a comparable helper!
let’s turn a new mindset, let’s help people soar, not sour.
