The Dangers of Complaining, Murmuring, Grumbling or Lamenting
“Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word, but complained in their tents, and did not heed the voice of the Lord. Therefore He raised His hand in an oath against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness, to overthrow their descendants among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.” - Psa. 106:24-27;
ü To
continually talk about our problems, discomfort, irritation and discontentment
over any situation instead of declaring God’s power and speaking about our
victory over that problem. We should hold the word of God and His promises to
us as true, faithful and final over and above our negative circumstances. This was
the attitude of Joshua and Caleb as against the evil attitude of the other 10
spies.- Num. 14:6-9
ü Lamenting
over the former days or circumstance being better than the present day or situation.
We are not called to lament but to create the present or future circumstance we
desire using God’s word and promises to us. Our anger, complaint or lamentation
does not produce the righteousness God expects from us.
“Do not say, “Why were
the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely
concerning this.” – Eccl.
7:10
“Understand this, my beloved brothers and
sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener],
slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger
[patient, reflective, forgiving]; for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not
produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires
from us]” – James 1:19-20 AMP
ü The
Lord views complaining as unbelief, despising, rejecting, rebelling against God
(Num. 11:20; 14:11, 23; 16:30).
ü Complaining is born out of lust, the lust of the flesh which is of the world (Num. 11:33; 1 Cor. 10:6-10; 1 John 2:16).
ü Complaining is one of the very sure signs of backsliding because it always stems from unbelief which is the opposite of faith (James 1:6-8).
ü Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6) and we are commanded to walk by faith not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). We are walking by sight when we complain.
ü The Bible tells us that the unbelieving and the fearful will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8).
ü Complaining overwhelms the human spirit (Psa. 77:3). And causes us to act confused or take the wrong step and decision (Num. 20:7-11)
ü Complaining is rebellion against God (Num. 14:9).
ü Sometimes, even when God forgives us for the sin, we may still face the consequence for our rebellion and unbelief like the children of Israel, Moses and Aaron did.
ü Complaining magnifies Satan and the situation. This greatly offends the Lord God Almighty who is the only One who should be magnified.
ü When
you complain, you are sharing and spreading unbelief and fear, and this makes your
faith ineffective. (Phile. 1:6)
1) “Now when the people
complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was
aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned
among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp……Then Moses
heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his
tent; and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased……“You
shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty
days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes
loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have
wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?”….. But while the meat was
still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was
aroused against the people, and the Lord
struck the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that
place Kibroth–hattaavah: because there they buried the people that LUSTED.”
(Num. 11:1, 10, 19, 20, 33, 34)
2) “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it……Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out…….So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper…..Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again.” (Num. 12:1,2,4,9,10,14,15)
3) “So all the congregation
lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the
children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole
congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if
only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land
to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would
it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let
us select a leader and return to Egypt” (Num. 14:1-4)…..Then the Lord said to Moses: “How
long will these people REJECT ME? And how long will they NOT BELIEVE ME, with
all the signs which I have performed among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I
will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.” (Num. 14:11-12)
“Then the Lord said: “I HAVE PARDONED,
according to your word; BUT truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled
with the glory of the Lord— because all these men who have seen My glory and
the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the
test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their
fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. (Num. 14:20-23)
“And
the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “How long shall I bear with this
evil congregation WHO COMPLAIN AGAINST ME? I have heard the complaints which
the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the
Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained
against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered,
according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except
for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means
enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. But your little ones,
whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land
which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this
wilderness. And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and
bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the
wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the
land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty
years, and you shall know My rejection. I the Lord have spoken this. I will
surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against
Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’ ”Now
the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the
congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, those very men who brought the evil report
about the land, died by the plague before the Lord. But Joshua the son of
Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy
out the land. (Num. 14:26-38)
4)
“Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with
Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben,
took men; and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel,
two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the
congregation, men of renown. They gathered together against Moses and Aaron,
and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation
is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt
yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?.............“Now it came to pass, as he
finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and
the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all
the men with Korah, with all their goods. So they and all those with them went
down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from
among the assembly. Then all Israel who were
around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up
also!” And a fire came
out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering
incense.” (Num. 16:1-3; 31-35)
5)
“Then
the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron
gather the congregation together. SPEAK to the rock before their eyes, and it
will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and
give drink to the congregation and their animals.” So Moses took the rod from
before the Lord as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly
together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we
bring water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted his hand and STRUCK
the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the
congregation and their animals drank. (Num. 20:7-11) “Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you DID NOT
BELIEVE ME, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly
into the land which I have given them……….“Aaron shall be gathered to his
people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of
Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. Take
Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; and strip Aaron of
his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to
his people and die there.” So Moses did just as the Lord commanded, and they
went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. Moses stripped Aaron
of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the
top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. Now
when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel
mourned for Aaron thirty days.” Num. 20:12,24-29)
“Now the Lord said to Moses: “Go up into
this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of
Israel. And when you have seen it, you
also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. For
in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled
against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These
are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.) (Num. 27:12-14)
6) "Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day. Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall." (1 Cor. 10:5-12)
WHAT SHOULD BE OUR ATTITUDE AT ALL TIMES AND IN EVERY SITUATION (WHAT PLEASES GOD)?
ü Acknowledge
every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus by confessing and declaring
God’s promises concerning you instead of your fears and unbelief. Always
declare God’s truth no matter the situation.
o “I thank my God, making mention of
you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and
toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment
of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” – Phile. 1:4-6
o “But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” – Num. 14:6-9
ü A
heart full of thanksgiving and praise to God in spite of the situation means
that you are declaring God's power; the Lord will show Himself strong on your
behalf for trusting Him.
o “For the
eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth,
to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly;
therefore from now on you shall have wars.” - 2 Chron.
16:9
o "In everything give thanks; for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”(1 Thess. 5:18)
ü Pray
and make your request known to the Lord instead of complaining about your
problems, and you will receive peace.
o "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus - Phil. 4:6-7
o “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength. - Isa. 26:3-4
ü Resist
the urge to complain, murmur, or lament, recognizing the consequences of this
sin. Renew your mind by the word of God and let your thoughts be purified by
the word. Have a good understanding of trials – they are meant to try your
faith and build endurance and patience in you. Therefore, instead of
complaining, apply your faith and declare God’s word and promises against the
negative situation.
o "Do all things without complaining and
disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without
fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine
as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in
the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”- Phil.
2:14-15
o “Finally, brethren, whatever things
are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of
good report, if there is any
virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw
in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Phil.
4:8-9
o “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” – James 1:2-4
ü Stay
humble in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. Trust in the Lord, do
not lean to your own understanding. Acknowledge the Lord and His word/promises
and He will direct your path to the place of solution. To be humble is to
acknowledge God’s promises concerning you and taking those words back to him in
prayer – exalting His word over your problems. Resist the enemy with God’s
word.
o “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:6-10)
o "Seek the LORD, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the LORD will protect you— protect you from his anger on that day of destruction." (Zeph. 2:3)
o “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit you way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass…..Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” (Psa. 37:3-5,7)
o “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Prov. 3:5-6)
ü Be
content with what you have while trusting the Lord to take you higher and make
you better.
o “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” (1 Tim. 6:6-8)
ü Do
what is right and do good works without grumbling or complaining. Understand
that God is faithful to reward your labour of love.
o "Be hospitable to one another without grumbling." (1 Pet. 4:9)
o “Do not grumble against one another,
brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!"
(James 5:9)
o “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is
not in vain in the Lord.” – 1 Cor. 15:58
o “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” – Heb. 6:10-12
Conclusion:
"But I say to you that for
every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of
Judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will
be condemned.” (Matt. 12:36-37)
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