Griping and Complaining

This seems to be the story in many believers’ lives.  Have you ever encountered a believer that seemed to be content in his or her situation? When I think about the Apostle Paul’s life, he seemed to be content in every situation.

This is what Paul said to the Philippians in 4:11-12, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”  Paul had gone through many trials and suffered much for the Kingdom of God and for Jesus’ sake without griping or complaining.

What was Paul’s secret?  For one thing he knew the cost of being a disciple of the Lord.  When Jesus said in Luke 9:23 to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  Paul was willing to do just that and he did faithfully.  The cross symbolizes death, or dying to the old life and putting on the new life. This was Paul’s model that he fashioned his life by, dying to self and being totally committed to Christ, his Savior and Lord.  In Paul’s day it cost him everything to follow Jesus and he learned how to be content in whatever situation he found himself in. You might say this was Paul’s secret, he says this in verse 13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  

I hear many people quote this verse but I wonder how many really understand what it means. Paul related this verse to being filled or going hungry, having abundance or suffering need.  Paul could say this verse and mean it because he had been through things that many of us have only read about, things we can‘t even imagine.  Paul said this about himself in 2 Corinthians 11:23–33, “Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.  Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.  I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.  In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.”

None of us have ever been through what Paul experienced so be careful about quoting this verse, before we do, we ought to think about what we are saying.  Most of us complain about too much heat or too cold in the sanctuary in our churches.  We complain about the service being too long or the preaching to condemning or a host of other things.  This list could go on and on and on.  I know our griping and complaining doesn’t please the Lord and it does us no good either.  

I remember in the Book of Exodus chapters 15, 16 and 17 how the Israelites complained about food and water.  They also tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”  I wonder how many times we have complained and put the Lord to the test when we’ve asked where was God in this situation or that situation or when things haven’t turned out the way we wanted them to?  How many times have we blamed the Lord for different things that have taken place in our lives?  Maybe it is time for confession and repentance on your part I know that I have been guilty of this and have acted accordingly, I hope you will also.

God bless you and have a great day.  And don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!