What Does God’s Word Say About Grumbling and Complaining?

What Does God’s Word Say About Grumbling and Complaining?

First, what is the definition of grumble/complain?

To complain about something in a bad-tempered way, a complaint, a low rumbling sound.

Some words that describe grumble: mummer, moan, groan, whine, mutter, grouse, bleat, carp, cavil, protest.

Complain: to express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something.

If one looks closely at this picture of the older man with a stick for a cane, they will notice that he has no shoes on his feet. His hat has holes in it but it helped keep the sun off his head. His suit jacket have worn edges and his pants are thread bear.

 

Yet he is dressed in the very best clothes he owns. He dressed up to come to see the dentist.

The mass of people are standing in line with the hopes of getting some physical relief.

What do these people have to complain about?

Let me count the ways:

• The old gentleman stood in line in the hot sun for hours to get one tooth pulled.
• He was very elderly as you can see from the picture he needs help to keep him steady.
• No one knows how far he walked to get to the Medical Mission, or whether he has had anything to eat or drink.
• What teeth he has left are all very decayed.
• The dentist will only pull one.
• When he is finished he still must travel back to his abode.
• The dentist may or may not be back in his walking distance next year.
• This may be the first and last time he will ever see a dentist. No matter how bad his teeth become.
• The people in the second picture may have walked many hours, or even days, with the hope of seeing a doctor, dentist or optometrist.
• They may have even slept outside in the cold winter night (35-40-degree weather) so they could be near the front of the line in the morning. Now they stand in line in the hot winter sun for hours waiting to see a medical personal.
• They may or may not have had a meager share of nshema ( a corn meal dough) since they left their village.
• They may or may not have had a drink of water, little lone clean water.
• This may be their first and last time ever to see a medical personal.

What in the world would they have to grumble about?

What in the world do they not have to grumble about?

Lack of everything-health care-food-clothes-water-living quarters-you name it and they have it to complain about.

What is in the world do we have to grumble or complain about?

We could list many things.

What does God say about grumbling and complaining?

Numbers 11:1

• Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD; and when the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.

Jude 1:16

• These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.

1 Corinthians 10: 9-10

• Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.  Nor grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Philippians 2: 14-16

• Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

God’s word is plain on what He thinks and feels about our grumbling or complaining.

Philippians 2: sums it up:

Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

It doesn’t say it is okay to grumble sometimes or about somethings.

It says DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT GRUMBLING…..

Why?

• So that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God.
• Above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.
• Among who you appear as lights in the world.
• Holding fast the word of life.

We may just very well be the light to someone in this crooked and perverse generation.

We may just very well lead someone to Jesus Christ so He can save their soul.

God cannot stand grumblers.

• He gives us many examples in the bible of how He handled them.
• He destroyed them.

My challenge to myself and you is:

• Let us stop grumbling before it is too late.
• Let us be the light of Christ to this dark world.
• Let us live as children of God.
• Let us hold fast to the Word of Life.

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Scriptures are taken from NASB