THE POISON OF COMPLAINING

THE POISON OF COMPLAINING

Few things steal the joy and harmony in a marriage than complaining and grumbling.  Let’s take a look at what God’s Word says about complaining and why we need to avoid it.

1.  Realize that complaining is dangerous.  In recent days a number of Christian leaders have fallen into immorality– and I have wondered how many more Christians have been declared unusable by God because of their complaining.  If the enemy of our soul can’t derail us through lust or immorality, then he will seek a different bait for his trap.  For many of us, that snare is the temptation to gripe, grumble, and complain against God (Num.14:27; 1Cor.9:24-10:13).  Illicit sex is not the only sin that puts Christians on the sidelines!

2.  Remember, God knows what He is doing.  The Old Testament hero Joseph is a great example for me.  First, his brothers threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery.  Then he’s unjustly accused of fooling around with Potiphar’s wife, thrown into prison, forgotten by a friend he had helped, and yet Scripture doesn’t record a single complaint.  He could’ve become bitter against his brothers.  He didn’t.  He could’ve smashed his fist against the prison walls and complained about his unjust circumstances.  He didn’t.

What was the secret of his complaint-free life?  The answer is found in Gen.45:5-8, where we find Joseph, now the governor  of Egypt, addressing his starving brothers, “And now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves…because God has sent me before you to preserve life.”   Three times in four verses Joseph says, “God sent me here.” Joseph grasped the truth that God is in control and that He knows what He is doing.

3.  Put away past complaints that may have turned bitter.  A grudge is an aging complaint, still actively held.  The longer you carry a complaint, the greater the probability it will become a grudge too heavy to handle.  If you have a complaint against a brother–or your spouse–go to him or her in private and clear the slate.

4.  Keep on giving thanks in all things (1Thess.5:18).  This is not just some power of positive thinking approach!  No, we will never give thanks unless we see God as the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, at work in our lives through our circumstances, even the ones we don’t especially care for.

NOTE:  This article was taken from “Family Life Marriage Bible” by Dennis and Barbara Rainey.

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