If you’ve ever been around kids, you know that they whine and complain a lot. They can throw fits for no reason, freak out just for the practice, and drive even a saint insane. If a child is a bit tired, told no, or has a tummy ache, then the only difference between them and a terrorist is often size. They would wreak havoc on the earth, but simply lack the size (but not the will) to get the job done.
God is a Father, and we are His children. Our Dad puts up with a lot of noisy whining, epic fit throwing, and nuclear meltdowns. In the Bible, the word for this is “grumbling”.
In the Old Testament, the children of God spent some forty years grumbling as recorded in the book of Exodus. When Jesus showed up, the grumbling continued. In one chapter of John alone we read the following:
- John 6:41 says that the religious leaders, “grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
- John 6:43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.”
- John 6:61 speaking to his disciples, “Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?
No matter what is happening, complaining, whining, and grumbling usually don’t help. That energy is better spent repenting of our attitude, mourning our losses, planning for our future, or helping someone else.
What are you grumbling about lately? How could your energy be better invested?