Jan 29, 2020 4 min
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 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 (Philippians 2:14-15 NKJV).
Recently, I attended a Bible Study online regarding not complaining, during which participants voiced their feedback to the above scripture. As I listened and commented, a stirring developed within me concerning our nation and the various happenings unfolding around us. I was reminded of the tendency of people to complain. I constantly hear people complaining about what they do not have, what they do not see, who’s in office, who did not get elected to office, what people in Government are or are not doing. The simple fact is that people—even Christians—can find just about anything to complain about daily.
The Israelites in Moses’ day are a case in point. After crying out to God for deliverance, God brought them out with a powerful hand in the midst of signs and wonders. He constantly manifested His goodness on their behalf in the presence of their captors. He provided light for three days while the Egyptians experienced total darkness. He kept their animals alive while the Egyptians’ animals died. He commanded the death angel to pass over their homes on the night that the angel claimed the lives of the first-born in Egypt. He parted the sea, allowing them to cross on dry land, and drowned their Egyptian pursuers in the same sea, thereby delivering them permanently from Egyptian bondage. He provided manna, quail, and water from a rock (see Exodus 7-17; Numbers 11).
Yet, the Israelites always found something to fuel their dissatisfaction. They complained about not having meat, specifically of being deprived of the fish, cucumbers, melons, onions, and garlic of Egypt, conveniently forgetting the cruel bondage that came with those provisions (Numbers 11:5-6). They complained about bitter water (Exodus 15:22), about being thirsty (Exodus 17:1-4), about Moses’ leadership (Numbers 12:1-12), about the giants of Canaan, refusing to enter the land that God gave them (Numbers 13 and 14). Their list of grievances against God and Moses was extensive and unwarranted. And we are often similarly tempted.
However, I encourage you to resist that temptation; in essence, do not complain about anything. As believers, we are called to obey the Word of God, and that includes the Apostle Paul’s direction to the Church Phillipi: Do all things without complaining and disputing or without grumbling or arguing. This is a bold command, and it takes a bold commitment to obey it. People see nothing wrong with complaining now and then and sometimes consider it their right to do so. Furthermore, resisting the temptation to complain can be difficult on the flesh, especially when we’ve been wronged by people or when things are not going our way.
Before complaining, however, you would do well to consider the consequences.
For one thing, complaining invites negative repercussions or judgment. For example, in Numbers 11, God became so angry with the Israelites’ complaining that He destroyed the outer edges of their camp with fire. When they complained, they positioned themselves to miss out on His blessing. Ultimately, their complaining and consequent failure to obey and honor God consigned an entire generation to the wilderness until they died out and forced another generation to wait for it. Like the Israelites, every time you complain, you are robbed of the faith you could be exerting to bring about the changes you so desperately want.
Paul gave the Philippians a good reason for not complaining: 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. Refusing to complain causes you to stand out as a witness for God. That’s because people—especially unbelievers but unfortunately Christians as well—constantly yield to the temptation to complain. Therefore, when you do not complain, you stand out, bringing attention to the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God (see Romans 12:2). Conversely, complaining negatively impacts your witness to sinners. It maligns the character of God and casts Him in a negative light to unbelievers. God simply is not glorified when believers complain.
Therefore, instead of complaining, we should instead focus on the goodness of God and concentrate our faith on affecting the change we desire. Doing these four things will help us: pray for our nation and leaders; maintain a posture of praise; speak only His Word; and be His brightly shining light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Proverbs 14:34 tells us that righteous makes a nation great, but sin brings disgrace. The righteousness that can exalt our nation can only come from Christians, as we alone are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:21). We must be the change that we seek!
God bless you as you continue to hear and heed His Voice!
