COMPLAINTS

Numbers 14: 1 – 5, 26 – 27

There is an old chestnut that goes; “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”.
The saying refers to the fact that if we complain long enough, and loud enough, we will get the result we desire.
I remember once when I was about 14, I went shopping with my mother and she bought me a new pair of dungarees. I was going out after supper with my buddies, and I was wearing shorts at the time. I asked Mom if I could wear my cool new jeans that night, to which she replied; “No”. Shocked by her response, I added the “Magic” word; “Please”? No!
Determined to get my way I launched into a string of; please, please, please, please, please, please… Well you get the idea; I went out that night wearing these dumb white shorts. The next day, my mother told me that after I asked the first time, she was in process of changing her mind until I launched my tirade of pleases, she then became resolute that there was no way she was going to comply.

Complaints rarely get us the outcome we want. We either; wait longer, hurt more, get more frustrated, or wish we never complained in the first place because of the outcome.

2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert!

26 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron:
27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.

How’d that work out for them?

The biblical principle “Do all things without complaining and disputing” (Phil. 2:14) is an important one. The ancient Israelites discovered this when, because of their constant complaining in the wilderness, they were judged by God and not allowed to enter the Promised Land.

A complaining Christian is a contradiction in terms.
A pastor in Kansas City gave what seemed to be an impossible challenge to his congregation—to go 21 days without complaining (the amount of time some say it takes to develop a new habit). Special bracelets were distributed to participants as a reminder to live complaint-free lives. A movement was started, and millions of bracelets have been distributed all over the world.

Think you can go 21 days?