“Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain.”
A little while ago, someone dear to me bought a soda stream. Prior to the purchase, I didn’t even know what a soda stream was but she was so excited about it that I too became excited for it. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t care at all for carbonated water but her joy was simply contagious.
And I bet you have a story like this too. You’ve been excited because others were. Sharing joy together. Such a beautiful thing. That just goes to show just how much the people around you can influence your mood. And nobody want no bad vibes, right?
Well, the Israelites were surrounded with bad vibes. The foreigners who left Egypt started craving the good things from Egypt. Picture a bunch of people around you, moaning and whining about all sorts of things.
Whether you’d believe it or not, that ungrateful and wanting atmosphere might permeate into you. And for the Israelites, it certainly did. Think about this atmosphere like air. In polluted air, you may try to hold your breath but sooner or later, you’ll have to take a gasp and it’ll fill you up with impurities. The bad attitude of the foreigners did that for the Israelites and they also began to complain.
Your environment has a role to play in your development- it could be in a good way or a bad way but it’s in some way regardless. It’s important to carefully analyze the opinions you listen to so you don’t grow unnecessary seeds in your mind.
How?
Philippians 4:8 NKJV says ‘finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.’
For example, if you were one of those Israelites waking with the foreigners side by side listening to their complaining, you would think to yourself, is this true, noble, just, pure, of good report, virtuous or praiseworthy? If no, then you’d simply walk away or divert the conversations to things which fit that criteria.
In so doing, you’ll uproot bad seeds before they even get the chance to germinate. And this is much easier than pulling out weeds that have taken root.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I pray that I will only fix my mind, heart and attention of things that are true, noble, just, pure, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy. Help me to reject anything otherwise so it doesn’t permeate into me and grow unecessary and damaging seeds in my mind. In Jesus Name, Amen.
– Blossom 🙂
1 Timothy 4:12