Living in the Village of Complaint

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Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. ~ Numbers 11:1

God has blessed me in so many ways but I still find myself complaining about anything, everything…nothing.

The children of Israel have seen God’s mighty hand deliver them from bondage and bring them out of Egypt.  Daily manna from heaven is falling, all they need do is gather and eat.  Yet they crumbled.  They chose to live in the village of complaint.

I have seen no less, the mighty hand of God has delivered me countless times.  God has healed me, He has come when I needed aid.  Yet here I am complaining over nothing.  I find myself just as contemptible as the children of Israel.

Do you complain about you job?  Your boss?  Your co-workers?  Your wife or husband?  Your children?  Your neighbor?  Your neighborhood?  Your home?  Your car?  Your paycheck?  Your church?  Your pastor?  Your fellow Christians?  Your food?  What are you complaining about?

If you are complaining about your boss or paycheck or co-workers, don’t sit around and wonder why you have no witness in that place.  If you are complaining about your neighbors, don’t sit around wondering why they don’t want to go to church with you.  If you are complaining about your pastor, don’t be in a quandary as to why your spouse won’t follow you to church.

…let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us… ~ Hebrews 12:1

The writer of Hebrews tells us to lay aside every encumbrance, every sin.  Sin is an encumbrance, and one of the heaviest encumbrance is the weight of complaining.  Complaining is the result of disobedience, it is the outpouring of an ungrateful heart.  If you claim Jesus the Christ as Savior, you have surrendered your right to complain.  Stop taking that right back.  Start being grateful, give God the glory and praise and all honor for your deliverance.

I can hear it now, “well brother, you don’t understand”.  Don’t understand what?  You don’t have a job?  You don’t have a home?  Your suffering in your body?  Stop focusing on the problem and start focusing on the solution which is Jesus the Christ.  If you will give God the glory for your suffering, He will change your circumstances.  But our gratefulness is not bound to our circumstances.  It is bound to the saving grace of God almighty through His Son Jesus and the price He paid for our deliverance.

Change your direction and start walking in the light of God giving thanks.

CDP

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