As humans, we seem to spend a lot of time complaining. We complain about how other people are or are not doing something. And how we would do it better. I know this because I have been good at doing this. Maybe you don’t say anything out loud – but inside complaining is no better. We complain when the weather is too gloomy and then we complain when the weather is too hot. Then, the weather is awesome and we complain that we don’t have the four seasons (I live in Arizona just in case you were wondering). We complain when our kids mess stuff up, and then we complain when our kids move out that we don’t see them enough. When God gave us hair that is naturally curly we complain that we cannot get it straight and when we have straight hair that doesn’t take curl well, we complain about that. I didn’t think I had a problem with complaining until I decided to not complain about anything and what I discovered was that I was complaining about almost everything in some way or another.
When Moses was leading the children of Israel out of Egypt and attempting to get them to the promise land of Canaan, the people complained too. One of the hardest things about leading people is the complaining they do along the way and the Exodus stories are good examples of how we are as a human race. But there is a key verse that reveals our real problem – Exodus 16:8, “And Moses said, ‘When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him – what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.’”
When we complain at all, about anything, our real complaining is against God! Because after all, if He would have made us differently, given us different circumstances, helped those around us to understand us better, given us more money, given us less trials, given us a different spouse or place to live – then we would be happy. Or at least, that is what our human mind says to us every day. So every time a complain comes out of our mouth or forms in our mind and we give in to it – we brood on it and let it hang out for a while, we are complaining against the God of heaven – who gave His own Son for us – who gives us the promises of His Word every day. So the next time you are temped to complain, take a good hard look and see if instead of complaining, you can’t find something for which to rejoice.
