Warriors Arise: February 3, 2022
Luke 19:1-7 (NKJV) Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained
One of the best life tools I learned from my Dad, as a coach, is within seconds to be able to flip my attitude. We can all flip out attitude to the negative in less than a heartbeat, but can you flip your attitude from a negative to a positive? He taught his players to practice diligently, play with intensity and rise above the circumstances. There might be a wrong call or a perceived wrong call, but as a player we were to keep our opinions to ourselves and win another way. It seems like there were some umpires who always gave the close call to our opponent and yet I am sure the opponents felt the same way from the other side of the field. However, when the game is over and it could have been a very well played, intense game; we were to wholeheartedly, without being snarky, congratulate everyone on the other team. We were taught to tell every player on the other team as we meet them over home plate, "Good game." There were times it was difficult and the ball just didn't bounce the way I had hoped and worked so hard to try and achieve, but someone had to win and that night it wasn't me. It wasn't my team. I still got in line and congratulated everyone on the other team. This form of trained behavior is prevented now-a-days because of the covid pandemic; therefore, trained integrity is being weakened. Just because I didn't win, doesn't mean I don't honor the players on the other team for how well they played. There is no need to be a downer.
Zacchaeus could have weaseled his way through he crowd to get to Jesus, but he didn't. He ran ahead, got out of the way of the crowd by climbing up in the Sycamore tree. Whether he wanted Jesus to look at him, we don't know. We know he wanted to see who Jesus was. Why didn't Jesus chose someone in the crowd who had been following Him? Close to Him? Reaching for Him? We don't know. There is no reason given. But all the others clamoring around Jesus and saw His invitation to Zacchaeus complained. Yikes!
Why do people complain? Why do you complain? Take moment and think of what causes you to complain.
The weather?
Someone's tone?
Another person's action?
How something was said?
What they didn't do?
A decisions made by another?
Why do we complain? I find it particularly odd if we act as if we have little value and then turn around and feel we have the right to judge a decision clearly made by God Himself. Maybe I am the only one caught in this two sided coin. I have to remind myself God will do what God is going to do and I need to do what is my responsibility to do. I am not to determine the outcome of the game by short-changing the value God has placed upon me. I am not to judge the outcome of the game, because it didn't go the way I wanted. ("Game" meaning situations in life." I don't want to be a downer. If I can't believe the best will happen then I will not prepare for the best to happen. I will follow along with the crowd and miss the positioning of being up in the Sycamore tree.
Complaining is such a downer. It really drives me nuts, at times. There are times I have had to declare, "We are going to go one full day with no complaints." I can't change it. I have been trained to do my best and live with the results. Decide whether you are going to do something or not, that is your choice. Zacchaeus chose to not battle the crowd to get to Jesus. He chose to run ahead and climb a Sycamore tree to see Jesus. Was He expecting what happened? Probably not, but what right did the other people have to judge whose house Jesus was going to go to? Maybe Jesus was waiting for someone to offer, but instead they were waiting for Him to feed them again (referring to the feeding of the 5,000 and then the 4,000). No one in the crowd offered, who had so rudely been pushing He and His disciples around. I only say that because Zacchaeus couldn't get through the crowd. The way Scripture records, leads me to believe that Zacchaeus might have tried, but he found that he couldn't get through so he ran ahead.
I totally understand the the disappointment of seeing someone else get what you wanted. However, if we only understood that when we complain we reveal our lack of character and not our excellence of character. Sometimes we need to realize our opinion just doesn't matter. There is no need to say a word. Generally, the complaining will lead to sin because ultimately we have allowed ourselves to judge God because our words condemn His decision.
Father, Your love is absolutely amazing. You put up with our complaining. I am sure I do not recognize how much I complain. I pray Your Spirit would come and bring conviction upon me when I complain about things I am not the judge over. Sadly, so often I complain when they are things I do not even have a say-so in. Forgive me for allowing my thoughts to run with my mouth. I pray for blessing and honor to come from my mouth. I pray for goodness and grace to come from my mouth. I pray for encouragement and celebrating others to come from my mouth. I pray I will align with You, believing the best, believing You would honor me by choosing me. I am valuable to You. I will bless You with my words in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy Hand
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