Without Complaining

Paul gives a command that strikes at one of our most ingrained habits: Do all things without complaining and disputing. Complaining is so natural to us that we scarcely notice we are doing it, the grumble about the weather, the traffic, the work, the inconvenience, the running commentary of dissatisfaction that hums beneath an ordinary day. Yet Paul says to do all things without it. Complaining is the exact opposite of gratitude; where thanksgiving sees gifts to be grateful for, grumbling sees grievances to be aired. The two cannot occupy the same heart at the same time.

This is a searching command, because grumbling feels so harmless, even satisfying. But a complaining spirit poisons gratitude at the source, trains the eye to find fault, and spreads its sourness to everyone around. Israel's grumbling in the wilderness, despite all God's provision, is held up in Scripture as a serious offence, because it was, at bottom, an accusation against God's goodness. To stop complaining is not to deny that things are hard; it is to refuse the habit of focusing on grievances, and to replace the grumble with thanks. Often the very same situation can be met with a complaint or with gratitude, and we choose which.

Catch your complaints today, and trade them for thanks. Each grumble that rises is an invitation to give thanks instead.