Lesson 5 March 21, 2004

Step Two—Contempt  

 

In the response of the people seen in Numbers 14:1-3 we have an illustration of one of the products of a wrong focus, contempt.

 

Here was step two in the downward spiral.

When we keep our eyes on the source of the problem and fail to quickly refocus our gaze on the Lord, we soon begin to develop contempt which regularly manifests itself in complaining or murmuring.

 

 

Our contempt may come in the form of envy, jealousy, anger, bitter­ness, resentment, or depression, but regardless, we begin to view the problem in a negative way rather than as an opportunity to see God work in our lives or in the life of another.

 

 

With that attitude and spiritual condition, the human soul naturally goes to its next logical action, some form of self-preservation via coming up with one's own solutions.

 

James 1:2 tells us to count it all joy when we fall into the various (many colored) trials of life, but later in this passage, verses 16-18, James calls our attention to the issue of God’s goodness.

James 1:16-18

 

First, he warns us against the deceptions of our own heart or wrong thinking that may look at the trials of life in the wrong way.

 

Second, because of God’s immutable, unchanging goodness, He can give only good gifts.

 

 

Finally, in keeping with His unchanging character and fatherly love, His gifts are constant, “coming down” to us continually. “Coming down” is in the present tense which highlights God’s gifts as a continuous pattern of God’s goodness.

Step Three—Contrivance

Such actions we have just seen in Numb. 11:1-3 illustrate the next natural and downward progression—contrivance.

I am using contrive in the sense of “to invent, scheme, or devise with human cleverness and ingenuity to solve a problem or meet a want.”

 

We are so clever at making excuses and rationalizing our situation in a dozen different ways that seem so convincing and logical to us, especially in view of the "problem" as we perceive it.

 

Numbers 14:39-45  points out what their spiritual condition was and the results of their contrivance.

 

 

 

Step Four—Conformed  (Controlled)

 

With our eyes off the Lord and living by our own contrived solutions, we move into a position where,  we are no longer walking in relationship with God.

 

Their desire to stone Joshua and Caleb illustrates how out of control we can become when we are not walking in faith with our eyes on the Lord (cf. 14:10a).

 

What they did was to resist God’s ordained leadership and seek to take matters into our own hands (vs. 10a). 

 

 

In other words, we begin to act just like the world. Rather than using the problem as a tool for growth and transfor­mation, we become conformed by the world and its approach to life.

 

 

 

 

 

Recovery - Refocusing on the Lord

 

 

With this negative picture in mind, what are the biblical steps for an upward focus, the focus driven by faith, motivated by the grace and love of God for you?

 

It is only from the Word of God that your going to gain the  capacity to evaluate the circumstances faced and deal with them properly.

 

We are then faced with a choice, the choice of where we will place our focus and trust.

 

So a wrong focus will also affect our capacity to love and show patience toward people,  in our dealing with others.

 

How, then, do we handle this dilemma?

We may seek to solve the problem through some form of self-protection like withdraw­ing our affection or by criticism.  Or perhaps we try avoidance, running away from the problem.

 

Rather than accept any responsibility for our sinful responses and attitudes, like Adam and Eve, we too are prone to look for a scapegoat to point the finger away from ourselves.

 

The propensity for pursuing cover-ups  is one of the consequences of the fall inherited from our original parents, but it is also one of the great hindrances to living by faith and resting in the total sufficiency of the Lord and His solutions and provisions for our lives.

 

 

Why is this?

 

We fail to assume responsibility for our actions.

The blame game is really the process of hiding or covering up and then blaming.

 

But second, and most importantly, this constitutes a great hindrance to faith because one of the things we tend to cover up most is our commit­ment to handle life by our own self-protective solu­tions.

 

When we take matters into our own hands, we have dropped the ball.

 

What should we be doing?    Throwing ourselves on the grace of Christ and His total sufficiency as we are exhorted to do.

 

So, what do we do? How do we recover?

With this downward focus in mind, we need to take a look at what puts us on back on a positive and upward focus. With Christ as the center.