Don't Grumble & Don't Complain - Praise & Pray (for others) March 1, 2024

I once knew someone who would mumble under their breath when upset. The first time I saw this behavior in action, I was stunned. This is because I had never seen people mumble so loudly. To be honest, I couldn't get away with such things in my house. The adults would somehow know what I was thinking and knock me upside my head for it. So trying to open my mouth and complain in that way was unimaginable.

Instead, I did what many other kids did. Once out of earshot and the potentially punishing reach of an adult, I'd grumble vocally. I'd even stomp a foot from time to time. Never hard enough to catch any attention, of course. This seemed normal to me for years and many people I knew did the same.

So, imagine my surprise when the Lord warned me to stop complaining. Although I'd always seen complaining and grumbling as a normal form of expression, His word revealed how wrong I was. Philippians 2:14 tells believers, Do everything without grumbling or arguing. Nothing could be clearer than that. Yet, despite committing to obey, things would happen to push me to the limit of that commitment. God, in His faithfulness, held my hand and showed me the many ways to express my feelings to Him and others without resorting to complaints, grumbling, or mumbling.

Nothing about this is easy. I am learning it is crucial to speak plainly. God is teaching me to consistently state things as I see them without laying blame on others, speaking disrespectfully of anyone, or exaggerating the description of events to make any side look worse. To achieve this, the Lord has required me, in many cases, to set my emotions aside so the enemy doesn't take advantage by drumming up my feelings. Because when that happens, satan succeeds in weaponizing those feelings against others and thereby causes me to sin against God. I've also had to remember that those who offend me are made in the image of God, thus requiring grace and respect. Besides, as I have to apply the Royal Law, what I say or think becomes limited to the boundaries of Christ's instruction to treat others as I would like to be treated.

It may seem very difficult to do, but when we look at Christ and His sacrifice we see a true example of what it means to not complain. He went to His death without a single word of complaint or protest. He didn't even argue with those who'd accused Him falsely. Instead, like a Lamb to the slaughter, He quietly stepped up to be a sacrifice for you and me. He even prayed for His opponents in the process.

Contrast this with the Israelites when God brought them out of Egypt. They repeatedly grumbled against Moses and complained about the Lord. When things were uncomfortable, they blamed God and His servant, Moses, for the suffering and threatened Moses instead of humbly seeking God's help to change their circumstances. They forgot and/or ignored the grace and power God displayed when rescuing them from slavery and oppression.

What example do we plan to model our lives on? Are we going to mimic Christ who moved in submission to God's will, regardless of its impact on Him? Or do we want to be like those who complained in the wilderness about every discomfort, ignoring all the great things God had done and was capable of doing?

Keep in mind that God wants us to take our concerns and grievances to Him. We are to lay these issues at His feet the way Elijah did. His life was under threat and he spoke to God about it. Hezekiah did something similar. Having heard that his sickness would kill him, he turned to the Lord and spoke to him, essentially pointing out that was unfair. These individuals and others in the Bible approached God with reverence. They spoke to Him with the innate fear of the Lord. They were not rude and they did not break faith with God in the process.

If we approach God the same way, then we can express the issues we face without being rude. We can talk to the Almighty, the One who is more than capable of solving our problems, without complaining and grumbling. This requires that we cooperate, allowing Him to teach us and build us into more mature believers. Ultimately, the choice is ours.