Grumbling and complaining

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron again, saying, “How long shall I put up with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel which they are voicing against Me. Numbers 14:26-27 NASB If you are consistently grumbling and complaining, you have probably given in to the sin of unbelief.

At one point, Martin Luther was doing a lot of whining and complaining. One day, his wife, Kate, came downstairs dressed in all black, like she was going to a funeral. Luther said, “Oh, who is dead?” Kate replied, “Why, have you not heard that God is dead? Luther looks puzzled. His wife continues, “My husband, Martin Luther, would never be in such a state of mind if he had a living God in whom to trust.” Luther laughed heartily, saying, “Kate, thou art a wise woman. Take off thy black.”

What is in our hearts generally comes out of our mouths. If we conclude that God is not faithful to His Word, it will determine how we think, speak, and act. Our view of God determines the type of Christian we will be. If we allow false ideas or thoughts about God to remain in our minds, they will always end up in our hearts, and the evidence that they are there are the words we speak.

So, what is the solution? The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB, We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. The antidote for falsehoods is the truth. The Word of God is the truth. We accept what only agrees with what God says and reject all that doesn’t. No, we don’t have control over thoughts that come into our minds, but we are in charge of what stays there.

Like Billy Graham once said, “You can’t always avoid a bird landing on your head, but if it starts to build a nest, you have a problem.” When complaints dominate your conversations, ask the Lord what lie of unbelief you have embraced.