Weekly Newsletter

Pastor David’s Weekly Devotional
Some people are natural-born complainers.  They can almost always find something to grumble about.  Typically, such a person believes they have somehow been wronged, treated unfairly, or slighted in some way.  They tend to be hyper-critical of others, and ever-gracious toward themselves.  They can be hard to please and easy to offend; insensitive of the needs of others, and over-sensitive of their own wants; they are quick to point out the faults of others, and quick to disregard their own.

There are also more passive complainers who chronically point out whatever they see as wrong with their life or with the world.  Whether they are grumbling about all their aches and pains, railing against our culture/society, or grousing about how difficult their life is, they spend an enormous amount of time and energy complaining.

Oftentimes, this is simply a means of inflating their own pride (feeling taller as they cut everyone else down to size).  Sometimes, this is an attempt to hide their compulsive insecurities.  Other times it is the insidious expression of meanness or malice.  And sometimes it is simply an unconscious behavior or habit.

Christians are certainly not immune to the sin of grumbling.  Like anyone, we can fall into the trap of ‘victimhood’ or of having an overactive ‘fairness meter.’  As I have heard it said, “Some Christians act like they have been baptized in lemon juice.”

Fortunately, Scripture is not silent on this often-latent-but-never-harmless sin.
 
Grumbling against God:
“We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer” (1Cor.10:9-10; cf. Num.11:1; 14:1-38; 16:11-35; Matt.20:11).

Grumbling against one another:
“Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door” (Jms.5:9).
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1Pet.4:9).

Grumbling about anything:
“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 whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil.2:14-15).

Grumbling is a sin because it is the expression of doubting God, being discontent with what God has given, or being displeased with what God has done (or not done).  Instead of being focused on the goodness of God (His character, nature, attributes), or being focused on the blessings of God (His grace, mercy, patience, and love), complainers tend to be focused on worldly and temporal things.

One antidote for the toxin of complaining is remembering this important truth: The true Christian can always honestly say, “I am doing better than I deserve.”

Together in and for Christ,
Pastor David

Scripture Readings for the Week (Monday – Sunday ~ Week #38):
Numbers 21-24; 2 Chronicles 1-5; Psalm 111-113; Proverbs 25; Amos 5-9; John 19-21; Philemon
Recommended Reading:
“The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment” by Jeremiah Burroughs

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