Quit your belly-aching!

How often do you complain about things? I don't know exactly how many people that read these blogs are professing & practicing followers of Christ, but I would assume that if you've been here for a while there must be some level of Biblical morality within you to some extent. That being said, as a follower of Christ and doer of the Word of God (James 1:22); how much complaining do you do on a daily basis? Let me add to that even a bit more; how much obeying do you do based on what you see in the scriptures?


Here's why I ask, I was recently reading in Exodus (15:24 - 16:5) and was flabbergasted by the ungrateful and whining attitude of the Israelites. First they moaned and groaned about not having water, then God provided that then they started up the wahmbulence again about not having food, and again God provided exactly what they needed for each day. Again I stress, God provided what was needed for each day, He didn't give them a pantry stocked to the top with food, though He very well could have, He gave them what they needed. Again, not what they wanted but what they needed. How often do we ourselves fall into this mentality we tend to get our wants and our needs mixed up? I know I find myself here more often than I care to admit.

You see the Israelites wandered in the wilderness far longer then they needed to. It's believed by some Biblical scholars that the journey should have only taken about a week and half; yet it took them forty years!? They'd complain about something, God would provide then they'd complain about the provision or they wouldn't obey how God had instructed them to handle the provision. This wilderness mentality isn't something that is isolated just to the Children of Israel back then, it's something that even today we too walk in from time to time. Think about your close net group of friends, colleges or family and try to view things from an unbiased point of view and really look at how much complaining goes on. You'll be shocked by what you uncover.

This mentality infects all aspects of life if you allow it, in marriage, family, business and even in churches. If you look at it like this; in each of the mentions groups there is generally a common goal in mind. Such as, in a marriage you are looking to have peace and harmony and grow together as one where your marriage reflects God's love. Well to get to that point it requires a journey, very similar to the journey the Israelites made from Egypt to the Promised Land; we're trying to get from one point to the next. Along the way there will be needs that come up that we shouldn't complain about all we should do is trust that God will provide for those needs and leave it in His hands. This remains true in families, businesses and even in the church, there is always a common goal that requires a journey, but it's our attitudes within the journey that I believe directly dictates the length of the processes. Will you make to your destination in a week and a half or will it take you forty years?

So if you feel that you have been round and round the same issue (wilderness) for some time now, STOP! Just stop, already and really examine what's been going on around you. Are you or those around you stuck in the cycle of a complaining wilderness mentality? If so just recognizing that it's happening is a great start and when you do realize it just ask God to help you and forgive you. Forgive me, you say? Yes, because when you start complaining about something you feel you need in some way you are saying that you don't trust that God is going to provide for that need. Which according to Scripture just isn't true. His Word clearly states time and time again that He will provide all our needs (see Philippians 4:19) all we have to do is trust that He will, and stop complaining. 

Take Care & God bless,

-E