Whether we’re frustrated by a coworker who won’t cooperate or children who won’t obey, whether our day is disrupted by a minor inconvenience or by major heartbreak, this truth remains: God’s grace compels us to respond with gratitude, not grumbling. When we do all things without complaining, we bring glory to the One who gives us every reason to praise Him.
For a few glorious months at the end of 2011, I hardly ever complained. I had endured several months of treatment for a rare cancer and had just been declared cancer free. I didn’t know how many healthy days I would have with my young family before the cancer returned, and I was determined to squeeze as much joy out of each day as I could.
To put it bluntly, my lack of complaining came from the realization that, statistically speaking, I should have been dead. I’d been given the gift of life, and gratefulness overflowed.
But it didn’t take long for me to forget what I’d been given. I fell back into old habits of grumbling, just like the Israelites in the desert who stood in awe of God’s power at the Red Sea but didn’t trust Him to provide drinking water (Ex. 14–15). Although I’d seen the Lord’s faithfulness through the deep waters of suffering, I forgot His goodness in the smallest puddles of my day, such as gloomy weather or a slow-moving line at the coffee shop.
When we encounter the minor frustrations and inconveniences of daily life, we have a choice to make: gratitude or grumbling. As we strive for gratitude, we need to recognize the sinfulness of our grumbling, examine the heart attitudes beneath it, and discover its remedy in the gospel.
The Sin of Grumbling
We may bristle at the idea that our complaining is sinful. But in Philippians 2:14, Paul admonishes us, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” In contrast, he exhorts us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:18). In Numbers 14, God describes the complaining Israelites as a “wicked generation” and denies them entrance into the promised land (vv. 26–30). Scripture clearly shows that God sees our grumbling about our circumstances as sinful complaints against Him.
Subscribe to Free “Top 10 Stories” Email
Get the top 10 stories from The Aquila Report in your inbox every Tuesday morning.