Desert of Discontent
By Susan Klein
“‘Stop grumbling among yourselves,’ Jesus answered.”
John 6:43 (NIV)
If complaining or
grumbling doesn’t really accomplish anything, why do you suppose we do it?
Perhaps we do it to let off some emotional steam over a situation that frustrates
us. But if we were honest, we’d admit that the satisfaction of venting is
momentary at best. The situation still exists if nothing has been done to
change it. Could it really be that complaining just gratifies our sinful nature
of wanting things our own way? And, by voicing our dissatisfaction out loud, aren’t
we really hoping others will jump on our grumbling wagon and join us on our
journey of discontent? Some would say, “Oh, what’s wrong with a little harmless
grumbling?” Plenty!
Grumbling is more
than just words. It stems from a wrong heart attitude, one that is likely
communicating ungratefulness. God not only hears our grumbling, but He sees our
hearts. Ingratitude is a guaranteed wall-builder between us and God, and that’s
not harmless. He has ordained every situation in our lives, the good and the
bad. When we grumble, we are inevitably voicing ungratefulness to Him. In
Scripture, we learn about the Israelites complaining while wandering in the
wilderness. Even though God went before them in a cloud, even though He always
provided food and water, even though He protected them from their enemies, they
grumbled. They were afraid, they were tired, they didn’t like the food, didn’t
like their leadership… (Sound familiar?) In Numbers 11:1 (NIV) we read, “Now the people
complained abut their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when He heard
them His anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and
consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.” Yikes! What if God chose to rain
down fire every time He heard us complain? Fortunately for us, that’s not His
standard response.
In 1 Corinthians
chapter 10, Paul shows us that some things never change as he addresses more grumblers
in the church. He reminds them about their forefathers’ grumblings and how some
of them were killed by the destroying angel. He admonishes them, saying these
things “were written down as warnings for us. (vs. 10-11, NIV)” Let’s learn from them.
God still sees and
still hears. While He may not send down literal fire to consume us, He can let
us get burned by our own words. He can also let us wander in the desert of our
discontent. We may not receive any relief until we stop complaining, focus our
energies on doing something proactive, and seek Him.
Let an attitude of
gratitude be your oasis amidst a desert of discontent.
GOING
DEEPER:
1. What consequences of complaining
might you be currently experiencing?
2. How can
you avoid riding the grumbling wagon?
FURTHER
READING:
Susan
is married to Mark, and co-leads an in-home small group. She serves as a mentor
to young women, and is a member of Oakwood’s Peace Team, helping people work
through conflict.
