Driving behind the rented van carrying all my worldly possessions, I reflected on my present situation. In my mid-fifties, I was leaving a well-loved position at a Christian college to join the staff of a nearby church.

“Lord, what will this move mean for me?” I prayed.

I sensed this response: “The end of discontent.”

I was stunned. Never had I thought of myself as a chronic complainer.

But almost simultaneously, I remembered a still-vivid scene from my past. Walking through the double doors of the high school where I tutored an undisciplined teenager, I was bickering with the Lord about my unprofitable circumstances. It seemed as if he responded, “You’re never satisfied with what I give you.”

I had repented sincerely, but evidently I had not let go of my negative thinking. Now, heading toward my new destination, I had to ask myself: Had I forgotten that righteous reproach of more than a decade before? Had I fallen into the detestable habit of murmuring?

“Oh Lord,” I cried aloud. “Once again, please forgive me!”

Settled in my new home, I determined to let the Holy Spirit change my heart. I turned to prayer and searched Scripture on the subject of fault-finding.

Murmuring is a serious offense against a loving God.

The Theological Workbook of the Old Testament (Moody Press, 2003) describes murmuring as an open act of rebellion against God, a stubborn refusal to believe his Word and his miraculous works. Ultimately it brings resentful opposition to God’s appointed leaders and to the authority invested in them. Exodus 16 and Numbers 14 exemplify this truth, showing the Israelites grumbling against Moses and Aaron.

Murmuring displays a lack of faith in God’s justice, goodness, and power. It distorts the perception of those who engage in it. The Israelites longed for the food they ate in Egypt, but they failed to remember their anguished slavery there. They muttered themselves into forgetting they were now on their way to the promised land.

In the New Testament, Paul refers to Israel’s history in the desert to warn us against the perils of griping against God’s manifested will. “And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel” (1 Corinthians 10:10). James 5:9 warns, “Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”

Like all good or bad habits, moaning and groaning begin almost unnoticeably. And Christians are not immune to their debilitating influence. Even believers have been heard to complain against the weather, against Daylight Savings Time, or against slow-moving traffic. They can find fault with and quibble over the color of the curtains in Friendship Hall; they can criticize the sermon for being too long, too short, too boring, or too dramatic.

Griping is no small matter. Before long, followers of Jesus can walk right into one of Satan’s most effective traps for destroying inner peace and church unity—namely, negative mindsets.

God has provided an antidote.

Jesus did not hesitate to tell his Jewish contemporaries, “Stop grumbling among yourselves” (John 6:43). In the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20), he emphasized the same crucial principle: don’t grumble against the generosity of the divine landowner!

In many instances, in order to put an end to a longtime habit of complaining—or to nip it in the bud—we first need to change our view of God himself. We need to see God for who he is: Provider, Healer, and Sustainer. Meditating on his Word will help us clear our vision to see this uplifting truth.

Better than anyone else, Jesus knew his Father as all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful. He, then, is the only cure for the devastating disease of constant complaining. His Holy Spirit can lead us to develop an attitude of acceptance and obedience.

Over the years I have become aware of my tendency to think and act in the negative mode. And I am grateful for the lessons Jesus has taught me. He, and only he, sets me free from such bondage.

Blanche Gosselin is a freelance writer in Putnam, Connecticut.

OUTLOOK is a forum for responsible Christian writers. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Standard Publishing or The Lookout.

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November 1, 2009 - Walking the edge
October 18, 2009 - Watch what you say
October 4, 2009 - Proposing a new proverb
September 20, 2009 - Fear and trembling
September 6, 2009 - Elwyn
August 23, 2009 - Where did the Bible go?
August 9, 2009 - The public school: a local mission field
July 26, 2009 - Astonishing the judges
July 12, 2009 - Letting the past go
June 28, 2009 - Line up
June 14, 2009 - The path to spiritual growth
May 31, 2009 - A tribute to one of my heroes
May 17, 2009 - Silent soldier
April 19, 2009 - Operation Resensitization
April 5, 2009 - The temptations of ministers
March 8, 2009 - Conversation over shoes
February 22, 2009 - By their plurals you shall know them
February 8, 2009 - What is missing from your retirement plans?
January 25, 2009 - Turn the page
December 28, 2008 - Abba, Father
December 14, 2008 - Elementary truths
November 30, 2008 - The illusion
October 19, 2008 - Acting like a toddler
October 5, 2008 - Don’t miss this
September 21, 2008 - Foolish schemes
September 7, 2008 - God’s hand is everywhere
August 24, 2008 - The dance
August 10, 2008 - Strange land
July 27, 2008 - God’s amazing grace
July 13, 2008 - A best seller
June 29, 2008 - My grandfather’s clock and worship
June 1, 2008 - Reclaiming the name
May 4, 2008 - God is not our fairy godmother
April 6, 2008 - Success: what is it and who can measure up?
March 9, 2008 - Need to know
February 10, 2008 - The top three myths of singleness
January 13, 2008 - By invitation only
December 5, 2007 - Yes, Abbie, there is a Jesus
November 18, 2007 - 10 Ways to be a good Christmas customer
October 21, 2007 - The dividing line
September 23, 2007 - What do you fear?
September 9, 2007 - A life well lived
July 29, 2007 - The cross and the Christian
July 15, 2007 - Turning the other cheek: still a valuable biblical principle
July 1, 2007 - Why the tie?
June 3, 2007 - The death of a son
May 6, 2007 - A prayer for the dying
April 8, 2007 - The omnipresent God
March 11, 2007 - Do the Amish have superheroes?
February 11, 2007 - What’s your black history?
January 14, 2007 - The split branch
December 31, 2006 - The house of regret
December 10, 2006 - The redemption of the innkeeper
November 26, 2006 - Too many choices
November 12, 2006 - Break the bashing habit: Learning to love the unsaved like Christ does: November 12, 2006
October 15, 2006 - Be ‘salt and light’ this Christmas!: October 15, 2006
September 17, 2006 - Who is a legalist?: September 17, 2006 Issue 38
July 23, 2006 - God speaks through our brokenness: July 23, 2006 Issue 38
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