September 14
Isaiah 17-19
Psalm 104:16-26
Proverbs 22:24-25
Philippians 2:12-30
Discontented
“Do everything without grumbling or complaining so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”
Philippians 2:14-15
This is another one that hits a little too close to home. Negativity is a bad habit and one that is easy to slip into. It is very easy to focus on the negative instead of the positive. Grumbling and complaining is a verbal expression of our dissatisfaction with our circumstances. We live in a world that is prone to complaining. Whenever we don’t get exactly what we want, how we want it, and when we want it, we are discontented. Grumbling and complaining is not unique to our culture. When God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, they complained about a lack of water. They complained about the lack of food and then about the kind of food God gave them. They complained about their trials in the wilderness, and they complained when they got to the promised land. It is easy to be critical of them, but let’s be realistic. If we went three days without water, we would definitely be complaining. If we had the same thing to eat every day, who of us would not complain about that. If we got to the promised land and saw the giants in the land, it is highly likely that we would be grumbling and murmuring among ourselves. People living in glass houses should not throw stones. God reacted very strongly to their complaints. They were saved from slavery in Egypt and God thought it was unreasonable for them to complain after their deliverance. Their complaining was a lack of faith because after experiencing such a miraculous deliverance they did not trust that God could provide for them in the desert and bring them into the promised land.
We have been delivered from slavery to sin. We have been given eternal life and adopted as children of God. How can we doubt that He will provide everything we need? Grumbling and complaining about our circumstances is a lack of faith in His provision. It is a lack of faith that He loves us and knows what is best for us. When we are grumbling and complaining we are saying that we do not think He is providing for us adequately. It comes naturally to be negative, but we can choose to see the good and believe the best. Being around negative people is exhausting and I’m sure none of us wants to be one of those people who is unpleasant to be around because we are always unhappy about something. If you are looking for something to be unhappy about, you can surely find it, but you can also easily find blessings if you are looking for them.
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