Faith along the way

Grumbling. Complaining. We’ve all done it. We don’t like a situation…we grumble and complain. Things aren’t going our way…we grumble and complain. If we aren’t careful, it will become a habit. This is how Dictionary.com defines grumbling: to murmur or mutter in discontent; complain sullenly; to growl; to express with complaining; it is an expression of discontent. The Bible has a lot to say regarding grumbling and complaining and I’m going to give you a few references to look up. There are many more than what I’m giving in this post. I encourage you to do a scripture word study on this topic.

We all feel discontent and upset with situations or even people from time to time. Life isn’t perfect and people aren’t perfect. How we handle these situations matter and we may be tempted to pick up a habit of grumbling. Grumbling breeds unnecessary anger and discontent and generally makes things worse, often inviting more adversity. It is also not a characteristic that is pleasing to God nor is it a characteristic of a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life.

Think about the Israelites, for example. God led them out of the bondage of Egyptian slavery, but many times along the way they grumbled and complained about, well, everything. They didn’t like the voyage, they didn’t have enough food, they said it would have been better to be a slave in Egypt rather than starving, they didn’t like the manna God provided to eat, the bitter water, they grumbled about how difficult it would be to fight the giants in the promised land, and they even grumbled about God’s chosen leader, Moses. They were a generation of grumbling, complaining, disobedient people who God said would not see the promised land and the next generation would. I encourage you to read the book of Exodus.

Grumbling and complaining displeases God. Psalm 34 tells us that God heard the sound of their words, and He was angry. God hears our words as well. Are they pleasing to Him? Do they encourage and edify, or do they set a bad example? Psalm 106:13-25 tells us the Israelites forgot His works, did not believe his Word, complained in their tents, and did not heed His Word. 1 Corinthians 10:10 even warns us not to complain as some of the Old Testament people did.

Lest we are too hard on the Israelites, we should be aware that we as God’s children grumble and complain as well. We don’t want to do as He asks or move in the direction He tells us to. We grumble about His timing, His way of providing, and even His children-our fellow brothers and sisters. We don’t like the way the preacher preached, how long he preached, how hot the church was, how cold the church was, what songs the song leader chose…on and on and on. Don’t we? This really convicts me regarding my own attitude.

So, what should we do? The first step is to admit we have a problem and cry out to God like the psalmist in Psalm 142:2. Ask God to help us change with the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to help us with our propensity as humans to grumble and complain. Think about what we are saying. Psalm 15:23 tells us a word spoken in due season is good. Proverbs 25:11 (NKJV) says: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in setting of silver”. Think before we speak. Be wise regarding our words and our attitude. Sometimes, however, we are called to be a mouthpiece for the Lord, and it may not be pleasant news for the hearer, but if it is what God is telling us to say, then it is a word fitly spoken. Prayer, Bible study, seeking God, and listening to the Holy Spirit are also most effective in changing our grumbling ways.

We have much to be thankful for rather than grumble about. I fully realize it is hard to live in this world sometimes, and that we encounter trials and tough…very tough…situations and circumstances that are overwhelming and hard to “grin and bear”. Life is not fair, life is not easy, grief is a difficult thing to deal with, people disappoint us, people are often difficult to deal with, we don’t always get the promotion we deserve, we aren’t always treated with respect, someone is bound to hurt our feelings, BUT: the hope we have in our Lord Jesus, the strength we have in Him, the example we have from Him, and His guidance will help us along the way. Cry out to Him. He hears. He cares. He answers. He moves. He loves us. He loves us so very much.

I hope these words encourage you, bless you, make you think, or even make you dig more into God’s Word. I pray God’s blessings for you, His strength and help for you whatever you are facing, and I humbly thank you for reading my blog and for your encouraging comments to me.

Jackie