Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Philippians 2:14-15 NIV
What difference does it make if you whine and complain? Isn’t it your right to have the freedom to express your feelings? If the person is not around you, is it still okay to talk badly about the situation?What does murmuring and grumbling actually sound like? Is it easier to call out someone else for their complaining, but excuse your own words of discontent? What’s the big deal about complaining anyway?
To be clear, God thinks grumbling and complaining is a very big deal. He punished the whole nation of Israel when they grumbled and complained in the desert. They complained about no food, no water, Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership, not the right kind of food, and giants in the new land they were to possess. Food and water were life and death issues. Nevertheless, some of the complaining led to plagues and death. God’s grace still provided for them when they were complaining.
Paul states that complaining should be different for the children of God. Not complaining leads to purity, while grumbling reveals you are being influenced by a warped and crooked generation.
What subjects trip you up most in complaining?
- Probably number one is complaining about leaders and those in authority. At one point even Moses complained about carrying the burden of the load of the people by himself. Numbers 11:10-15.
- Lack of provision or money. Most have more than you need to survive, but the enemy deceives us with the idea that you deserve more than you have. Give thanks for God’s goodness in these situations.
- Status of life. You’ve made good decisions and some poor decisions which have led you to the place in which you are now standing. Some bad things have happened to you which were not of your own choosing. Some complain constantly to God about their struggles. But God. But God takes your brokenness and uses it for His glory.
- Your own personhood. You may not like the way you look or the talent you do not possess that others have. Many have been stuck telling others (complaining) about their own inability to move forward because of their frailty, looks, or lack of skills. God takes the weak and despised things and makes them beautiful in His time. He can and does use the person He made you to be. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His mercies will never fail you.
- Injustices. God hears the cries from the widows, orphans and the oppressed. This complaining has roots in a just complaint. Not getting your way or what you wanted is not always an injustice. Take the time to allow God to search your hert for the right motives in responding to true injustices.
Listen to your words which come out of your mouth. Lay them on the scales with complaining and grumbling on one side and thankfulness on the other. How does the scale tilt? How does the scale tilt for the friends closest to you?
Take the grumbling thought captive. Ask God to help you change the complaining thought’s tone and direction as it comes out of your mouth. Choose to be different from this warped and crooked generation.
Bless others and curse not. Give thanks. Ask God to put a heart of gratefulness on full display for others to see and hear. Stop complaining to and about your spouse. Celebrate the precious gift the Lord has given you to do life with. Pray for others and watch how it changes your thoughts about them.
God loves you. Let this be your starting point for all of your thoughts of complaining.
Blessings Love y’all