In light of God's goodness, knowledge provision, and care Jesus told His disciples not to worry. They weren't to worry about clothes, food, or the future. The God who provides food for each sparrow and clothes flowers with beauty greater than Solomon values and cares for those created in His image. Worrying is sin because it comes from unbelief in God's goodness and His promises and is often rooted in self.
It occurred to me today that if I were to personify Worry, Complaining and Murmuring are her children. We all know what it feels like to worry, to experience anxiety from circumstances we find stressful. Much of our fretting is internal and this inner friction inevitably reveals itself in overt ways: we speak harshly, sigh frequently, and complain. Complaining gives worry a voice when we gripe about a situation we are displeased with instead of casting our cares upon God and resting in Him. We can complain about someone else complaining rather than addressing the issue with the complainer directly. Fundamentally the issues of worry and complaining are one in the heart against God.
Not convinced? Think about the conduct of the children of Israel in the wilderness after God brought them out of Egypt. He provided for all their needs but complained and murmured against Him. Jesus taught if we have an offense against a person we ought to go to them alone and discuss, but complaining is airing a personal grievance in public. Many times the Hebrews complained about their situation they are described as "murmuring against" God. And when people murmured about Moses, he informed them their murmuring was not actually against him but God (Ex. 16:8). Murmuring suggests holding a grudge, bitterness against God! Their complaints with God were spoken around their children, to their wives and neighbours--and God heard them all and saw the deception and hypocrisy in their hearts.
Complaining and murmuring is a surefire way to provoke God to anger because it is abiding sin not repented of. Numbers 11:1 puts this in vivid detail: "Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp." Just because God is gracious to us and is longsuffering and patient does not mean complaining is no less sinful. Man, this hits close to home for me. How often I have complained when I ought to have prayed! Complaining it itself is not wrong, for Asaph wrote in Psalm 77:3: "I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah" Asaph called out to God in a complaint which led to praise because his response to difficulty was directed by faith in God.
Friend, is your life marked with complaining and murmuring? Let us bring our cares to God's throne of grace so we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Worrying, complaining, and murmuring cannot enable us to grow an inch taller or change our situation for the better, but these sins of unbelief ultimately result in judgment. Instead of giving worry a voice through complaining, may our repentant hearts be moved to praise our awesome God!
It occurred to me today that if I were to personify Worry, Complaining and Murmuring are her children. We all know what it feels like to worry, to experience anxiety from circumstances we find stressful. Much of our fretting is internal and this inner friction inevitably reveals itself in overt ways: we speak harshly, sigh frequently, and complain. Complaining gives worry a voice when we gripe about a situation we are displeased with instead of casting our cares upon God and resting in Him. We can complain about someone else complaining rather than addressing the issue with the complainer directly. Fundamentally the issues of worry and complaining are one in the heart against God.
Not convinced? Think about the conduct of the children of Israel in the wilderness after God brought them out of Egypt. He provided for all their needs but complained and murmured against Him. Jesus taught if we have an offense against a person we ought to go to them alone and discuss, but complaining is airing a personal grievance in public. Many times the Hebrews complained about their situation they are described as "murmuring against" God. And when people murmured about Moses, he informed them their murmuring was not actually against him but God (Ex. 16:8). Murmuring suggests holding a grudge, bitterness against God! Their complaints with God were spoken around their children, to their wives and neighbours--and God heard them all and saw the deception and hypocrisy in their hearts.
Complaining and murmuring is a surefire way to provoke God to anger because it is abiding sin not repented of. Numbers 11:1 puts this in vivid detail: "Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp." Just because God is gracious to us and is longsuffering and patient does not mean complaining is no less sinful. Man, this hits close to home for me. How often I have complained when I ought to have prayed! Complaining it itself is not wrong, for Asaph wrote in Psalm 77:3: "I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah" Asaph called out to God in a complaint which led to praise because his response to difficulty was directed by faith in God.
Friend, is your life marked with complaining and murmuring? Let us bring our cares to God's throne of grace so we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Worrying, complaining, and murmuring cannot enable us to grow an inch taller or change our situation for the better, but these sins of unbelief ultimately result in judgment. Instead of giving worry a voice through complaining, may our repentant hearts be moved to praise our awesome God!
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