Apparently, I've been watching a lot of movies lately, because today I saw the movie "Defiance" and it made me think about something.
This movie is about a group of Jews trying to stay alive while hiding in a forest from the Nazis. It was extremely hard for them because food kept running out and their group kept getting bigger--especially since more and more of them were realizing that running away from the ghettos was their only real chance of survival. The main guys protecting them were three brothers who are sort of bandits, but they end up being in charge of the fighting and the general leadership of the whole group. Most of the men in the group were not this vigilante type. Most of the men were educated men and accountant types, so the brothers had a rough time transitioning these laymen into warriors.
Anyways, the food ran out quite frequently and every time it did, the people complained. Some of them said things like, "We should just go back to the ghettos." This logic of course is ridiculous to us today because we know what EXACTLY went on in the ghettos. Anyways, it totally reminded me of when the children of Israel would complain to Moses and say that they had it better in Egypt. Like, are you serious? You were making bricks and breaking your backs for those people! Are you kidding me? How weak can you get?
But then I realized . . . how often do I complain about things. And what do I even have to complain about? These are my biggest complaints: (1) I'm not married. (2) I miss living in America. (3) I miss my family and friends in America. And then I have all the other little complaints of: I have to work for a living, I have to make dinner tonight and don't want to, I have to go to tae kwon do or else I won't get my black belt but I don't want to and I don't think I'm very good anyways, I'm too tired, my students give me headaches sometimes. blah blah blah.
But none of those things are even close to being important or worthwhile things to complain about. For one thing, I know literally dozens of married couples who wish they weren't married. I have freedom. I get to live abroad and work abroad. When I am in America, there are things I miss about Korea. Living in Korea helps me at least appreciate America more. I do miss my friends in America, but I keep in touch with them. Who doesn't work for a living? And it's rewarding work. True, I'd love to be back in America, but I can't find a job there, and the point is I HAVE a job here. In this day and age a lot of people can't even find work. Dinner can be fun to make. How many people even get to take tae kwon do? Some people can't even walk. I'm too tired, because I stay up too late. My students are great people and I love them and they love me. So . . . all my complaints are either things that are totally self-inflicted or things that I should actually be grateful for.
So how would I stand up in a situation like this movie or the post-Egypt Israelites? Probably not so well. So I should probably never blame them for being so wishy-washy and weak. Besides, when your needs are met--when you are full--you forget what it's like to be starving. These people were starving, so of course they feel sorry for themselves. I was sick a few weeks ago and whenever I'm sick I just feel like, 'what if I never get better?' You start realizing that the times when you complained but you were totally healthy were foolish times.
I think it's similar with the Israelites. They forgot the pain and suffering they went through in Egypt because at least they were fed. You say things like that when you are starving even though it's ridiculous, because you don't know the future and the present seems hopeless.
So I shouldn't complain especially when all my needs are met.
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2 comments:
I think it is human nature to never be satisfied, to always want more... we have to learn to be grateful and appreciative of things.
To not be satisified can be both a blessing and a curse. We can spend all of our time looking for satisfication in the wrong things - more money, more clothes a better paying job. Or we can turn to the One who does satisify all of our needs.
I think too, that, it really speaks to the strength and the ability that is within us. None of us knows how we would react in certain situations until we are actually there... like having to face cancer for example. We can say we will be strong but what if we are actually filled with hopelessness and see no point in fighting it?
Perhaps God hard-wired us this way for a reason, so that we would be more inclined to keep searching until we found the truth of our existence, the truth of Who is actually meeting our needs, the truth of where our strength comes from.
In no way am I say God caused the holocaust... but what I am saying is this... In dire circumstances such as this one is forced to look for something outside of their own capabilities - something to bring them hope AND strength and the desire to live through another day.
I think my comments are completely off-topic... I'm soooooo sorry.
jess says...
no you were on topic. you brought up some things that i was trying to say. like, in my own life, and when i hear messages preached, i think all too often we don't give people like the Israelites a break. like, yes, they had trouble trusting God many times, but if you look at their circumstances...their circumstances were PRETTY dire. like, i've never been starving. i've never had to worry about having a roof over my head.
so...were the Israelites out of line to complain? absolutely they were. God was right there with them. when God is with you, you have no right to complain b/c He is GOING to take care of you. but we (Israelites, me, the dude down the street, etc.) have to trust Him to do it.
my point is though, that if i have never been in straits that have even come close to being as dire as the Israelites, i REALLY have no excuse not to trust God. i REALLY have no right to complain!
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