Why Complain?

​​Mark Twain once said, “Don‘t complain and talk about all your problems – 80 percent of people don‘t care; the other 20 percent will think you deserve them.”

Unfortunately Twain wasn‘t around to share this timeless wisdom with Israelites during their wilderness wanderings. For forty years complaining and murmuring seemed to be an area that Israel excelled in. They were always fussing about something. In fact, the majority of the book of Numbers is devoted to the reporting of the many rebellions of Israel and the consequences they faced. Imperfect conditions faced by fussy people was a recipe for disaster.  Are we really much different than the nation of Israel way back when?

Here are two life lessons to reflect on about complaining. Don‘t fuss about it – just keep reading!

1) Talking about your ills just makes you more ill. Complaining never gets you anywhere but worse off. If all you do is focus on your problems then your problems will seem bigger. Sometimes it‘s best to remember that things are never as bad as they seem. Situations could always be worse and life is much better than it‘s opposite. A negative outlook never produces a positive result. 

2) Complaining grieves the Holy Spirit. When you bicker, you enter the realm of the serpent and step out of the realm of the Spirit. Watch out or the snakes will bite you like they bit the Hebrews in the wilderness. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption,” Ephesians 4:29 & 30.

It is the little things in life that often lead to murmuring…traffic jams, screaming kids, slow internet, mask mandates, and cranky bosses don‘t really matter. Before you fuss, think about the subject of your mouth. Are you just barking about wants, desires, and how stuff isn’t going your way?