Devotional from March 7, 2007
Complaining
This will be
interesting: writing a devotional about complaining without it being one that
complains about complaining! Actually,
the Lord revealed some powerful things to me about complaining about two weeks
ago that I really want to share.
“Do all things
without complaining or disputing, 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)
I have realized
recently that not a whole lot snuffs out lightness and beauty quicker than
complaining (I know; I am a big complainer!).
Examples of complaining begin early on in Scripture; one of the chief
cases being that of the Israelites soon after being rescued by God (through
Moses) from their enslavement in Egypt
“Then the whole
congregation of the children of Israel Israel said to them, ‘Oh that we had died by the
hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt (oh dear, this sounds scarily similar to things
I have said, just leave out ‘in the land
of Egypt
Other examples
follow, including one in which the Israelites’ complaining about how Moses
wasn’t coming down the mountain of God fast enough led to the construction of a
golden calf to assumedly replace God (who also was taking too long I suppose –
Exodus 32:1).
…and herein lies the
chief point: complaining (about whatever) uncovers a mistrust of God: of what
He has created, of His works, of what He has provided, and of His good and
perfect will. Moses makes this clear
when he tells the Israelites that ultimately their complaints are not against
he and Aaron, but against God Himself (verse 8); and God Himself does not always
respond to these grumblings against Him as favorably as He did in the beginning
with His children (Numbers 11:1, 19-20).
But this is not
specifically what the Lord revealed to me about complaining. Apart from the fact that over the years I
have noticed an increased amount of complaining coming out of my own heart; in
really listening, I have noticed that more and more these days complaining
about this or that has become an almost
automatic and “typical” mode of expression in both monologue and dialogue. But it wasn’t until several weeks ago that a
connection was made in my mind; that this complaining has become increasingly
(how can I put this) a deep, disturbing “existence” or phenomenon emanating
from the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:12) – with peoples’ hearts and mouths
just being the conduits through which these complaints come pouring forth.
I know this sounds a
wee bit dramatic (!) – but just take some time to listen: to yourself, to
others, to what is expressed in the media and see how much of what you hear is
some type of murmur against something – no matter how small it might seem. Also, be aware of how you feel when you are
speaking with someone and they begin to complain against someone or something
(especially if that complaining persists for longer than 30 seconds or so): do
you feel light-hearted and glad? Or do
you begin to feel somewhat burdened, or even begin to “catch the bug” of the
complaining and find yourself slipping into the same complaining mode? And please note, by “complaining” I mean
pointing out the flaws in something, usually because it annoys or
inconveniences the one complaining, and typically not offering any positive
solution. Oh, and pay attention to how
your heart and mind feel when you complain.
Add to the negative
internal and external atmosphere that is created when we complain the fact that
complaining is mistrust in God’s ability to take care of things (having to
voice our own aggravation against His creation, His creatures, or, even Him!)
and what better formula could you think of for Satan to subtly, yet
pervasively, engender an atmosphere in which peoples’ hearts are getting harder
and in which God is either implicitly or explicitly put on trial for things not
being good enough (often according to our expectations)? So the warning is that, more generally,
complaining has become a major tool in this world of the dark powers that
reside here, who are somehow succeeding in getting us to focus more and more on
what is wrong, or essentially on what we “don’t have” (they began this strategy
a looooong time ago – Genesis 3:1-6) and, ecstatically for them, seeing it take
up a bigger place in our hearts and in our speaking. More specifically, God struck deep (thank
you, Lord) to cause me to realize that my own heart was becoming dangerously
more encrusted by complaints (and voicing them instead of resisting by His
grace) – to the point in which I was quite horrifyingly seeing that almost all
I could do was find things about which to complain (John 8:34; Romans 6:16),
instead of being able to see anything good.
Now I’m not saying
that we are not responsible for our own utterances; but what I am saying is
that complaints and complaining seem to have a power over our hearts, minds,
and mouths that does not seem entirely natural.
But don’t listen to me…just listen.
*********************
“Why do you say, O
Jacob, and complain, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is
disregarded by God’? Do you not
know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator
of the ends of the earth. He will not
grow tired and weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases
the power of the weak. Even youths grow
tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength. They will
soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and
not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:27-31)
“Finally…whatever is
true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy –
think about such things.” (Philippians4:8)
Father, please
forgive our complaints, which ultimately reach your ears and are an expression
of the still-existing crustiness of our hearts and mistrust in you. Remove our hearts of stone and give us new
hearts (Ezekiel 36:26-27); give us your Spirit that alone can substantially and
consistently enable us to think on the good things, which glorify you. And please continue revealing to me and to
others how complaining has become an increasingly strategic weapon in Satan’s
battle plan, so that, also by the Love, Wisdom, and Strength poured out by your
Spirit, we can resist our natural as well as increasingly
supernaturally-imposed tendency to complain and focus on the Good and Right,
which is manifested in You.
Thank you.
Love, Terri
Love, Terri
