Got Complaints?

I started reading my one year Bible in January so lately I have been spending a lot of time among those complaining Israelites.  Oh, it's easy for me to condemn them.  After all they had God right there with them in a cloud and in a pillar of fire, and he parted the Red Sea, and he fed them bread from Heaven--what did they have to grumble about?  But they DID... over and over and over again.   Not only did the people complain, but the leaders complained as well.  A man named Korah led 250 leaders to challenge Moses and his brother Aaron.  All of us are holy.  The Lord is with us too.  Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?  Basically he was saying, "Who made you the boss?"
While I've never said those words I can relate to the FEELINGS behind them.  Maybe Korah didn't like the spot he had been assigned in the camp.  Maybe he didn't like the way Moses got to go in the taberancle and he didn't.  Maybe he didn't like the songs that Miriam sang.  Maybe he thought the drums were too loud.   Maybe he didn't like the color of the carpet.  Maybe he didn't like the Sunday School curriculum....  (Hey, wait a minute are we still talking about Korah and his friends, or me and my friends?)
  And Moses responds...

Now listen, (Marlo)!  Isn't it enough...that God has separated you from the rest of the community and brought you near himself to do (his) work... and to minister to (the community)?... but now you are trying (to control the church) too... It is against the Lord... Who is (_______) that you should grumble against (him/her)?  

(A very loose paraphrase of Numbers 16:8-11)

What that says to me is, "I (God) have given you a job to do.  I have called you and have taught you.  Isn't that enough?  Why do you think you have to control everything that goes on?  I did not appoint you as judge over the worship music, or the curriculum, or the color of the carpet, or what time Awanas meets.  When you grumble it is against me.  You are not doing any good.  You need to do what I ask you to do and let other people do what I ask them to do.  I will be the judge, not you."

Try it.  It's actually very freeing to remind yourself, "God did not put me in charge of this."