Do you know anyone who just complains about everything? It seems like they cannot be happy if they are not complaining. In a world filled with frustrations, disappointments, and delays, complaining seems to come naturally. We complain when things don’t go the way we planned, when other people disappoint us, when stuck in traffic, and on and on we go. Certainly, as a Christian, I should learn to stop—but how? Do I bite my tongue? Do I suppress my emotions? Do I pretend nothing is going on around me?
Throughout scripture, we read of people complaining. In Exodus 16, not long after God had delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, the Israelites were unhappy because they did not have as much to eat as they desired. To such an exaggerated point that they said, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for You have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16.3). After seeing the plagues sent against Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the drowning of Pharoah’s army, bitter water made sweet— they still did not trust God to provide. Their persistent complaining led to a forty year delay in entering the Promise Land. Even Miriam and Aaron complained against Moses resulting in Miriam being struck with leprosy for seven days (Numbers 12.10-15).
The New Testament shifts the focus from external circumstances to internal transformation. The apostle Paul said, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among who you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2.14, 15). Paul links complaining to having blemished hearts in the sight of God. James said, “Do not grumble against one another, brothers…the Judge is standing at the door” (James 5.9). Complaining damages our relationships with one another and will eventually bring about judgment.
Why do we complain? Complaining often stems from discontentment—we focus on the things we do not have instead of being thankful for what we do. It may be because we think we deserve better, forgetting God gives us what we have. Complaining arises from being impatient because we have become a people who want instant gratification. So, how do I stop? Practice gratitude! Paul said, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (I Thessalonians 5.18). Trust God! Again, Paul said to the Christians at Philippi, “My God will supply all your needs” (Philippians 4.19). Watch our tongues! The Proverb writer said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18.21). Let us choose words that build up, not tear down.
Learning not to complain is not about suppressing emotions—it’s about transforming our hearts. When I catch myself complaining, let me cry out with David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51.10). If I will walk after God, He says, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you” (Ezekiel 36.26). Can I stop complaining, transform my heart, and let the evidence of God living in me shine forth? Gary
Leave a Reply