Why complaining is a sin…

 

When I complain about how busy I am, it contains a bit of boasting. My dad used to put down those ‘lazy people’ who didn’t work hard, so I grew up considering busyness was a virtue. But now, that to-do list is overwhelming and seems more like a curse than a blessing. 

But this morning, God rebukes me for the sin of complaining using the words of Stephen Charnock about the goodness of God and quotes from the Bible. The first is a reminder of where all good comes from: “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’ ” (Psalm 16:2) Then he reminds me how easily God’s people fail to properly respond to that goodness:

Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. (Nehemiah 9:35)

When I became a Christian, one of the first principles the Lord taught me was this:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Yet all this week, I have complained about being overloaded with responsibilities, inundated with gifts that inadvertently added to my to-do list, and feeling like not getting out of bed because it was too much for my mind as well as my body and the hours in a day. 

Yet as Charnock points out, when God bestows anything upon His people, He sees it best they should have it. Now I am beginning to see how God is using these ‘bountiful blessings’ to show me how my response is not what He wants from me. 

First, all is from Him and because He is good, this is also for my good. The writer of Proverbs asked for “neither poverty nor riches” only what was “needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:8–9) And I think the same about being busy; not idle and doing my own thing, or so busy that I forget His power to help, then try to do things without Him.

The good that is coming from this ‘far too busy’ stuff is that He is showing me a need for repentance. Complaining is not only useless but I am denying His goodness in how He governs my life. I need to trust Him and be thankful, not whine. I like this quote from Charnock:

If we are sick it is goodness, a disease and not hell; a cloud, and not total darkness. If he transfers from us what we have, he takes no more than what his goodness first imparted to us… he never takes so much from his people as his goodness leaves them. If he strips them of their lives, he leaves them their souls…  and removes them from those houses of clay to a richer mansion. The time of our sufferings here… bears not a moment to that endless eternity wherein he hath designed to manifest his goodness to us. The consideration of Divine goodness would teach us to draw a calm even from storms… 

Other verses shows me that this “goodness” of being overwhelmed has purpose to show me what is needed from me: “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4) and this passage:

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! (Psalm 148:1–10)

PRAY: Since all creation praises You, what is my excuse for complaining? You are showing me that my complaints are a rejection of the good You give and the reality that You are able to grant me what is needed on my part. First, I confess and repent of my self-centeredness, then…

I Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform my vows to the Most High. (Psalm 50:14)

Then: I “commit my work to the Lord, and my plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3;9) You will bless this because You gave it for my good… and I thank You that You know what is best for me, even using it to bring repentance for my selfishness and complaining. Amen.

God is glorified when He takes care of needs

 

As today’s devotional says, praying for daily bread in my situation is not as necessary as praying for self-control so I don’t overeat. Yet I agree that when Jesus says to ask: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) He is not talking about food only. This prayer acknowledges that God provides all daily necessities. My husband sets a good example by thanking God for another day, air to breathe and many things easily taken for granted.

Some people treat God as a genie in a bottle, a power to meet their needs without thinking that the purpose of prayer is to glorify God. Jesus says:

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:13–14)

Jesus did speak of daily necessities as well. In the time and place He lived, this was a common concern, just as it is in various parts of the world today. He said,

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:31–33)

For those who are not anxious about food and clothes, the promises of answered prayer still hold. Right after this one about necessities, Jesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)

This strikes home. This morning I’ve the following anxieties: a quilt for some special people but the design has me stumped. How can I fix it so it looks good and is the right size? Income tax time is looming and I cannot find the receipt for church donations; it seems to have vanished? An organization I belong to recently changed their policies and all their officials have no job descriptions — I have been given the responsibility to see that this happens. Then there are dozens of prayer requests plus the ones listed in a couple of prayer apps on my phone, plus the stuff from this morning’s newspaper. Future plans aside; today’s troubles are already enough!

Yet this morning’s time of worship included that song, “Count your blessings” so I did a short version and realize that this thankful part of prayer glorifies God; He has answered prayer in so many ways. In the past few weeks, we have not had any wants for anything, and to ice that cake, we’ve also seen growth in our church (it is bursting at the seams), healing for a man who was dying, baptisms, new believers, prodigals return to their faith in God, and a host of smaller things, like Him using mistakes for good and remarkable ‘coincidences’ that bring praise to our hearts and lips.

Lord Jesus, may trusting You for everything never become a selfish demand that You to do what I want, or me treating You as a “celestial vending machine” rather than Almighty God to whom I also pray, “Thy will be done.” As our son’s wife recently said, “God knows best” and Your decisions are not only wise, but loving. You take care of us so well. May I always pray in faith like the wise person who said:

Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8–9)

You tell me that You will take care of me, but You also say not to lay up treasure on earth or pray for things that glorify myself and not You. Forgive all sinful selfishness in my prayers and enable me to instead pray so that You are glorified!

CHECK OUT: Matthew 6:19–34 and James 4:3.