And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. Numbers 11:1
One of the things I liked about the Christian school where we sent our children was the enforcement of a rule against complaining. Students would be assessed a demerit if they were heard grumping about anything. That’s a good rule that would improve the atmosphere in many other areas of life, wouldn’t it? Oh, but you say, there are so many things wrong around us, so many things that we can legitimately complain about. That’s just one way of looking at it. Let’s consider a better way of looking at it.
Most of the things that we complain about are problems that more than half of the people in the world would love to have. Think how your whining about the taste of your food would sound to somebody who has had only half a cup of rice to eat in the past four days. Think how your muttering about how shabby your coat is getting would sound to somebody who has to wrap filthy cardboard around themselves to keep from freezing. You get the point. We are incredibly blessed in our part of the world, and complaining about minor issues with those blessings is simply a lack of gratitude on our part. Besides, it is far more productive to set about fixing things we don’t like.
Most of the things we complain about are mostly our own fault, the result of our own poor choices or the result of our own lack of initiative. But there are also many things outside of our control that we take issue with. We shouldn’t. If they are outside of our control, they have been allowed by God. So our complaints are actually against God. Instead of complaining, we should seek to learn why these things have come into our lives. Is God trying to teach us something? Is God giving us a lesson in trusting Him. Is God offering us an opportunity to build our own character and become more Christlike?
Our text tells us that God’s anger was kindled when His people complained. And He punished those who were involved. They deserved it; God had done so much for them in delivering them from Egyptian bondage and in preserving and providing for them in the wilderness. Do we really think that the God Who punished the ancient Israelites for their complaining actually doesn’t mind when His people today complain? Has he not done great things for us, saving our souls, preserving and keeping us, providing us with today’s needs and eternity’s hopes?
The next time you are tempted to complain, try thanking God for one of His blessings instead. – Jim MacIntosh