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Home Search Topics Contact About | ComplainersPhilippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Complainers are not thinking about these things. Job 21:4: As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?Job got it right. Complaining to men doesn*t give us any relief from being troubled. Psalms 142:1-2: Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave. I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. 2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
David got it right too. He took His complaint to the Lord, the Only One that could do anything about it. Complaining to mortal men is usually a waste of time and breath. The only time complaining to mortal men is helpful is if we complain to someone who can fix the problem and might want to. Most complaints I hear are about people and circumstances that I cannot fix. Most of the time the complainers don*t even want the problem fixed. They just want to complain about it. If our complaining to men is to get them to pray about the problem it may not be wrong. Sometimes our complaining is gossip. Complaining about others is sometimes an effort to tear them down and build ourselves up. Complaining about people to other people is backbiting. Complaining about others is a symptom of unforgiveness. We don*t complain about people we have genuinely forgiven. Complaining is presumptuous. It presumes that we don*t deserve the problem. When we understand that what we deserve is Hell, we understand that God has not given us what we deserve and we understand that the little things we complain about are far less than what we really deserve. Lamentations 3:22: It is of the LORD*S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Psalms 103:10: He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Complainers are pessimists. No one who is bound for Heaven should be a pessimist. When we complain about circumstances, we complain about things God has permitted in our lives. When we complain about things He has permitted in our lives, we are actually complaining about Him. Sometimes we might even be complaining about His chastisement in our lives. He is sovereign. Complainers forget that He is sovereign. Or perhaps they don*t want Him to be sovereign. Nehemiah 8:10: Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
When we are complaining we are not joyful and we are weak Christians. 1 Thessalonians 5:18: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
When we are complaining, we are not praising the Lord and we are not thankful. Complaining about ourselves is pointless as well. If we complain about something that we can fix about ourselves we should fix it. If we complain about something that only God can fix about ourselves, we ought to ask Him to fix it. Our complaints are like sharing bitterness with others. When we complain to people we are often turning away from the Lord and turning them away from Him too. Am I complaining about my own complaining? Yes. Have you got a bellyfull of my complaining about complaining? Me too. Let*s pray about it. Lord, help us to be praisers and prayers and not complainers! |
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