Online Articles
Complaining Christians
"Do all things without complaining and 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)
Few things can be more destructive to a child's future (both earthly and heavenly) as a propensity to whine and complain. Such is the manner of those who are ungrateful, greedy and self-seeking. Continued grumbling and griping is evidence that a child has successfully trained his parents to cater to his wantonness, placing in jeopardy not only the child, but also the parents (Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 6:7; Ephesians 6:4). If the routine is not broken (Proverbs 2:15; 23:13-14), the murmuring child will become a murmuring adult, and an irritation to his peers.
Recall, when God brought the children of Israel from Egypt, they were a nation of complainers (Exodus 15:24; 16:2; 17:3). The apostle Paul candidly states, "…with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." (1 Corinthians 10:5) He cites the things which happened to them as "…our example, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted." (v. 6) friend, you and are not to "…complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer." (v. 10)
A Christian complaining is no more acceptable than any child or the nation Israel doing so. If the Lord commands that we "drive it far" from the child, and if He scattered the Israelite bodies in the wilderness on account of their murmuring, then surely we can understand that such has no place in the child of God. The context of Philippians 2 supplies Jesus as our great example, through His obedience in going to the cross. Recall, the prophet wrote of Him, "…as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth." (Isaiah 53:7) If he endured such hostility and pain for us, without complaint, shouldn't we endeavor to serve Him daily without complaint?
Understand, my friend, our standing as children of God depends upon us laying aside all murmuring. If we are to shine as lights in this world, it will be through faithful obedience, and the knowledge that we are to be "blameless and harmless", not whiners and complainers.
