Things in life can often cause us to complain. Complaining can quickly become a habit and can even start to define us. Grumbling can be contagious; it can cause others to pile on and offer their own complaints in a sort of “complaint competition.” This seemingly benign habit can actually be a powerful indicator of our relationship with God. Are we fully His? Our words and thoughts have spiritual consequences, but the good news is that God has provided help for us in the Bible so that we can confidently expect to please Him.
The Apostle Paul wrote to churches in the 1st century, not long after Christianity had started. Much of the New Testament in your Bible consists of Paul’s letters to these early Christians. In multiple letters, Paul warns and gives direction to Christ’s followers regarding grumbling and complaining. As Christians today, interested in living with Christ and God for eternity, it makes sense for us to read and heed the words Paul wrote, especially since as an Apostle he was given authority from Jesus Christ to spread the gospel message (Matthew 28:18-20). On the subject of complaining, let’s take a look at what Paul told the church which met in the city of Philippi.
Philippians 2:12-16 teaches us that we need to work out salvation with fear and trembling. This means that being a Christian is not a trivial thing which requires no effort, but rather we have to “work” at it...and do so carefully, with respect and reverence towards God. Verse 14 really hits home with our subject today as it says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” Paul isn’t trying to place arbitrary rules on us for no good reason, he tells us this so that we can be “children of God” and so we can “shine as lights in the world.” The Christian is to be noticeably different than the world, and to help bring others to Christ. One of the ways to properly shine our light is to not have a complaining attitude or spirit.
Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 10:10 Paul tells the church which met in the city of Corinth that they should not “grumble” as God’s people did in ancient times. He is referring to the Hebrew nation we can read about in the Old Testament section of the Bible, who sadly fell into the trap of repeatedly grumbling against God and were punished severely for it. It is clear from the Bible that being in the habit of complaining is sinful activity and must be stopped. But how do we do that?
By way of answering this question, let’s look at a couple more passages. Christians are repeatedly told they are to be happy, to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4), and “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). We know that these people were being persecuted by those who didn’t believe in Christ as the Messiah and also by the government directly. Many Christians were martyred (killed) in brutal ways just because they believed in Christ. How could God tell people who were suffering so much mental and physical trauma for their faith, to rejoice? The answer is that earthly concerns are not all that important to the Christian because they are just visitors on this earth and looking forward to a home elsewhere with God for eternity (2 Corinthians 4:17).
God wants His people to be HIS people, and to completely rely upon Him. This is why He was upset at His people in the Old Testament times. The people’s habit of complaining showed a lack of trust in God’s providential care. They were not satisfied with what He had done for them nor with His mission for them. We can totally see why Paul wants us to cut the complaints and be known for rejoicing in the Lord, it means we belong to Christ and God, not this world and its cares.
Thankfully, God doesn’t just tell us to do something and not give help in how to accomplish it. Take another look at the Apostle Paul’s 1st letter to the church which met in the city of Thessalonica. We already mentioned 1 Thessalonians 5:16 where it says to, “Rejoice always.” But keep reading..the text then says to “pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” He has provided a tool for us to overcome the habit of complaining and helps us to rejoice even when things are not great in life. We must keep focused on spiritual things! We must rely totally upon God. When you give thanks to God, it humbles you and shows reliance upon Him. When you “pray without ceasing”, it means that you are habitually seeking God’s help and not focusing on self or the trials of this world, big or small. Speaking of spiritual things, if we are walking “by the Spirit” and focused on showing the fruits of the Spirit in our lives (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control; see Galatians 5:22-25) our focus will keep us from grumbling. The more spiritual we are, the more focused we will be on God’s will and His word, and the less we will complain about what God has provided for us and His mission that gives purpose for our lives.
So, the question before us is this…do we have a spirit of complaining or are we centered on glorifying God? What about when times are tough? What is God’s plan for me today and what should I be doing in the kingdom? I’d love to study these or any other Bible topic with you, please contact me with any questions you might have.
Blessings to you,
Jeff S. Mullen
Blanco Hills Church
830-554-0701