It’s like bad breath, everybody, except you, knows it. Unlike the sins of adultery, lying, stealing which one should immediately realizes, it can gradually creep into our life unnoticed until it traps us into an attitude of grumbling. You become the only one who is unaware of this bad attitude. If a spouse or friend tries to tell you, you only deny it and grumble.
The most vivid example of an attitude of grumbling comes from the children of Israel. They grumbled in Egypt and throughout their forty years in the wilderness. They grumbled when Pharaoh stopped providing straw to make bricks because Moses and Aaron tried to gain their freedom. After the exodus, when they reached the Red Sea and the Egyptian army was in pursuit, they grumbled. Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’ (Exo 14:11, 12)?
Israel witnessed God’s great power in their crossing of the Red Sea and the Lord destroying Pharaoh’s army. They feared the Lord, trusted Him, and sang a song of praise. But as is often the case the trust and praise of a grumbler is short lived. Within three days on their journey finding no water they came to the waters of Marah, but the waters were bitter. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink” (15:24). God was faithful and showed Moses how to make the water sweet. Then the Lord blessed them, they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters (15:27). You would think after seeing God provide their needs, they would have an attitude of gratitude. No! No! Now they were hungry.
Again they grumbled, “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (16:3). God provided them with manna. But soon they grumbled they didn’t have meat; God brought quail. They were unhappy they had to gather the manna daily instead of enough for several days. Back on the journey camping at Rephidim they grumbled. “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst” (17:3)? Again, God provided water from a rock He commanded Moses to strike. Did the grumbling stop? Not a chance. We read of it all through their journey. Even, when they arrived at the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve spies, saw a land flowing with milk and honey. The grumblers saw nothing but giants and fortified cities. All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron (Num 14:2).
An attitude of grumbling is more than expressing a lack of something you need. The words for attitude mean finding fault with one’s lot, a mindset, an exercise of the mind and not a temporary emotion. An attitude of grumbling isn’t a singular instance of complaining, it is a habitual lifestyle of murmuring. It blinds people from all the blessings God has provided. All grumblers think about is what they don’t have, but never see and give thanks for the abundance of what they do have. We can always find something to grumble about—it’s too hot, it’s too cold; the sermon was too long; my son doesn’t love me, but you have four others who do; we can grumble about imaginary problems we fear might happen. When God blesses you, the response is, “it won’t last”.
Yet, we have far more for which we can be grateful. NASV translates Colossians 4:2, Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Believers are to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18 NIV); give thanks is a command. Note also it does not say give thanks “for” your circumstances, but “in”. You say, “I don’t feel like it”. Then offer a sacrifice of praise. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise (Heb 13:15). Paul tells us, These things happened to them [Israel] as examples and were written down as warnings for us . . . (1 Cor 10:11 NIV). Be warned and take on an attitude of thanksgiving. He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me (Ps 50:23). This week write down all you have to thank Him for and let your attitude be gratitude.
Sustaining Word for the Week: “Be grateful and you won’t grumble. Grumble and you won’t be grateful.”
(Billy Graham)