The Cost Of A Critical Attitude (2)

Miriam... began to talk against Moses... and the LORD heard this. - Numbers 12:1-2 NIV
When Miriam criticized Moses, God smote her with leprosy. Notice 3 things:

(1) Not one of us is immune! Miriam was very godly; not only had she saved Moses' life as a child, she also wrote the song of worship to celebrate Israel's crossing of the Red Sea. So we never become so spiritually advanced as to be incapable of a critical attitude.

(2) Sometimes what we focus on isn't the real issue! Listen: "Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married." But was that the real issue? No, listen: "And they said, 'Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?'" Moses' wife was the surface issue; the real issue was Moses' prominence. Their complaint was, "How come he gets all the attention?" Look out! When there's competitiveness in your attitude or resentment in your heart, there'll be criticism on your lips.

(3) Doing God's will doesn't guarantee immunity! Listen: "Moses was very humble, more than any man...on the face of the earth" (Nu 12:3 NASB). Yet even he couldn't escape the pain of self-appointed critics attacking the work he was doing for God.

It was only when Aaron acknowledged, "We have acted foolishly...we have sinned" (Nu 12:11 NASB), did God show mercy and heal Miriam of her leprosy. Now we'd rather reclassify criticism as a weakness, but from God's perspective it's a sin - a genuine, bona fide registered sin! And there's only one way to deal with sin: Repent and stop practicing it.