Fruit of Complaining

One of the top lessons I get when reading about the Israelite's exodus from Egypt is God’s perspective on grumbling and complaining.  Time and again the children would complain about their hardships as they wandered in the wilderness.  Complaining does not gain them sympathy or compassion, but rather judgement and destruction.  Read Numbers 11 for an example of this.  These stories are written down for us to learn from.  Yet why do we still find it so easy to complain?

What is so appealing about it, why does it seem to make us feel better?  Is it by belittling others we make ourselves more important in our own eyes?  Is it for the hope of gaining a sympathetic ear, or possibly form a club of like minded complainers to validate one’s own complaints?

Complaining is a disease that is running rampant in the modern age of the internet.  The internet provides an outlet for people to spew their complaints to a larger and larger audience.  One doesn’t have to read many comments on social media sites like Facebook or YouTube to see the complaining rise to a new level of vile stench.

People are not just complaining, but it seems they go out of their way to attack and tear down other people, often with trash talk and demeaning language.  Are we not all created in His image? Do we not know that we will be held accountable for our words and deeds?

Matt 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

Pride is a common root to complaining.  God deplores it, just read the story of the Exodus. He will bring the proud low.  This is a promise.

Matt 23:12  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Perhaps for many our life has become too soft as we have spent our time pleasing ourselves and building our own kingdom.  Love HAS grown cold.  What happened to esteeming others better than ourselves?  Loving our enemies?  Has our conscience become so seared that this behavior does not shame us?

I believe that complaining is epidemic because it is the easy route.  The path of least resistance.  It has become commonplace and many just respond in kind.

Let this post be a reminder for us all to take the path less traveled.  The more difficult and challenging road.  Desire to remain humble, remain merciful, and pray for wisdom on how to handle each situation without complaint.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.