Do Everything Without Complaining

The people murmured against Moses. (Ex 15:23; 16:2; 17:3)

When we face serious problems, and we know deep inside ourselves that we cannot solve those problems, it causes us to doubt that God himself can solve those problems. We tend to project self-doubt onto God.

This is quite a normal human behavior. If I can’t solve it, then it’s likely that no one can. Furthermore, when we arrive at the point of thinking that no one can resolve our problems, we get bitter. We complain. This is what happened to the people of Israel in the desert.

Israel was delivered from Egyptian slavery only to find themselves in another sort of slavery–the slavery of living in a wasteland (the desert). They went out of the frying pan and into the fire. They faced unsurmountable problems, one after another. When in the desert, they knew that there was nothing they could do to survive. They said on more than one occasion, “Moses, why have you brought us out here to die!?” They got bitter. They complained. This behavior is the result of the simply reality that because they knew deep within themselves that they couldn’t resolve their own problems and therefore no one could, not even God.

There are many bitter people in the world today. There are many who complain as well (and I’m one of them!). We have to be careful, however, when we get bitter and complain because it’s a sign of an underdeveloped faith in God. Developed faith in God means having perfect peace, contentment, and even joy in all circumstances. That and peace, contentment and joy originates in the deep knowledge (given to us by the Holy Spirit) that while matters may be out of our own hands, they are not out of God’s hands.

That’s precisely what makes God, well, God; that he’s able to do what no one else can. That his power, mercy, sovereignty, grace, providence, and love is unmatched. He has no equal. He is holy. He is capable. There is no problem that he cannot redeem. Do you trust that, or are you bitter? Do you believe that, or do you complain?

Paul tells us, “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in the world full of crooked and perverse people” (Philippians 2:14).

Paul makes an important connection here between complaining and testimony. He encourages us not to complain, “so that no on can criticize you.” In other words, the world cannot know that there is an all powerful, Triune and Holy God who is big enough to carry the weight of our burdens to the point where we can find perfect peace in all moments. When we complain, our witness to that reality becomes diluted. The world looks on Christian behavior and says, “If that’s all that God can do for them, then no thank you.”

Simply because we know deep within ourselves that we cannot solve our own problems or the problems of the world, doesn’t mean that God cannot. Pray for the Holy Spirit to activate your faith to be developed enough to look beyond your own inabilities and the inabilities of others to see with unmatched clarity the competence of Yahweh.