OVERCOMING GRUMBLING AND MURMURING

‘Do all things without complaining and disputing…’ (Phil. 2:14).
Grumbling and murmuring are habits many of us indulge in. We complain about everything – our families, our jobs, our bosses, our churches, our nation and even murmur against God. Many of us can see nothing good in our experiences. Grumbling is a sin which the Lord detests. It shows a spirit of discontent and ingratitude. Those who murmur and complain feel that life is miserable and they want others to be miserable as well. As Christians, we must endeavor to break the habit of murmuring.
When you grumble or murmur:

YOU LACK POWER
Grumbling drains you of spiritual and even, physical power. You are not able to effectively act on the situation. It drains you of strength to be proactive and creatively find solutions to life’s problems. You start generating negative energy that invariably attracts more things to complain about. The spirit of murmuring invites other negative spirits, makes you to wallow in self-pity and turn you to a miserable powerless Christian. And I always say, ‘A miserable Christian is an anti-thesis of the Christian faith.’

YOU DON’T SHOW THE LIGHT
The desire of God is that we might shine as light in a crooked and perverse generation. God wants us to rise above habits such as murmuring and complaining so that we can be His witnesses here on earth and by our example, others might be drawn to Christ. Philippians 2:13-15 says, ‘For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.’ Murmuring beclouds your personality and deprives you of the shining glory of Christ that typifies us as Christians.

WHEN YOU MURMUR, NO ONE REALLY LISTENS TO YOU!
When you keep grumbling and complaining, a time comes when people stop listening to you. In fact, you make a mockery of yourself. People literally shut you off when you start talking. I noticed that people generally avoid those who grumble. You are soon labelled a grumbler. Proverbs 21:19 says, ‘It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.’ (NLT) So it is with a complaining man. If you are wondering why your friends are deserting you, check your tongue. Are you always murmuring?

YOU BEHAVE LIKE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND SUFFER A HEAVY PENALTY
Murmuring is a sin against God and it is an act of rebellion. The children of Israel murmured against God and they perished in the wilderness. In Numbers 14:27, God said, ‘How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me’ (KJV). In 1 Corinthians 10:10-11, Apostle Paul admonished, ‘Nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.’ God hates grumbling. James 5:9 says, ‘Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.’ We must learn from the example of the Israelites and desist from this habit.

YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO THINK LOGICALLY
Grumbling colours every situation grey. It impedes objective assessment and proper review of the situation. You are not able to view things in the right perspective. The Israelites, on their way to Canaan, had all they needed, yet they kept grumbling and murmuring about everything. They had Manna from heaven. Yet they grumbled. Deuteronomy 8:4 says, ‘Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.’ Yet they murmured against God. Murmuring prevents you from seeing the good things happening in your life; it clouds your judgement.

As we come to the end of the year, I want to encourage us to spend time listening to God and praying. Stay calm and be proactive in all you do. Avoid a murmuring spirt, be grateful and content. Let Jesus be the Lord over your life and over the situations of your life. Be thankful for God’s blessings, no matter how little and have a spirit of gratitude. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near’ (Philippians 4:4-5 NIV).
I wish you a blessed week.

#gregerhabor