“I Quit: Complaining”
If we were to take a poll about the biggest complaints it would be across the board: traffic, laundry, taxes, dishes in the sink, pillows on the bed, job, you sworn enemy…or maybe it’s the way the toilet paper is installed or left empty. Whatever your complaint I’m sure it’s the little things that build up like a volcano ready to erupt. We often see that complaining leads to more complaining. SO how do we shift our complaining to rejoicing? We have to see the true cost of complaining in our lives!
- Complaining DRIVES OTHERS AWAY (1 Samuel 17:26-30)
- David has just been anointed King and has to serve his brothers on the battle field! Instead of complaining he makes sure his flock is in order and runs to battle. When he’s at the battlefield he asks what would be given to those who defeat Goliath…and his brother Eliab (who’s name means “God is Father”), puts David down and complains about him being at the battle! The very one who God is going to use to defeat Goliath is the one that Eliab puts down.
- As followers of Christ we are called to show God as the Father to everyone we encounter regardless of their circumstance…and yet when we complain we do the exact opposite. Instead of Eliab being part of David’s famous defeat of Goliath…he had to wait until later to be the warrior God made him to be. His complaining cost him the opportunity to be a part of one of the Bible’s most famous victories.
- Complaining OFFENDS the HEART of GOD (1 Samuel 17:31-40)
- Saul (name means “asked for”) is waiting for someone to step up and God to deliver Israel from the Philistines. He’s probably been begging God to do something and this shepherd boy, who he doesn’t know is his replacement, steps up to go into battle. Instead of Saul being excited that David is stepping forward…he instead complains about the ways David surely can’t win! David on the other hand reflects the heart of God for deliverance.
- We often do the same thing! Someone comes to us with this BIG dream or vision that God has given them and instead of initially walking with the we find a way to tell them every way that they can’t do it. We make the laundry list of how it can’t work instead of asking God how we fit into making it happen. And yet when we see they’ve made it we love to Celebrate them…but the heart of God is for us to walk hand in hand with those called according to God’s purpose.
- Complaining COSTS YOU SIGNIFICANTLY (1 Samuel 17:41-50)
- Goliath (name means great) is standing here 10+ft. tall complaining that no one can match him! A little shepherd boy surely can’t bring him down. After all he was bigger, louder and had all of the experience. So there’s no way this inexperienced little thing could beat him! Goliath’s complaints cost him his life. Feels like a stretch? Did Goliath believe that God could destroy him? His complaints of no one being able to defeat him is what lead to his ultimate defeat!
- We can’t see how we effect those around us when we complain. The cost of the complaint is bigger than we could ever imagine at the time…but I know someone who can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine ( 3:20). What if we decided instead of complaining we rejoice with those around us? What has complaining done for us any way (think of a 5 year old asking & asking…now think of a 45 year old doing the same thing…seems ridiculous right). To do what God’s called us to do we must have a ZERO COMPLAINT policy! The cost is too great!
Take Away:
Do you more often need to change your circumstances or your perspective?
How would it change your view of complaining if you knew God was the end recipient?
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Tyler West 