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Happenings around Antioch

Do Not Grumble

You may have heard the story about the monk who joined a monastery and took a vow of silence. After the first 10 years his superior called him in and asked, “Do you have anything to say?” The monk replied, “Food bad.” After another 10 years the monk again had opportunity to voice his thoughts. He said, “Bed hard.” Another 10 years went by and again he was called in before his superior. When asked if he had anything to say, he responded, “I quit.” The supervisor said, “It doesn’t surprise me. You’ve done nothing but complain ever since you got here.” 

The people of Israel were only 6 weeks into their journey of freedom and they were already grumbling. First about water. Then about food. Let’s be honest. Grumbling is a favorite pastime. Or at least something we tend to do a lot and hardly ever consider, perhaps, that it is not right. Children grumble about having to go to bed, eat their vegetables, or do their chores. Teenage boys grumble because they can’t go to the parties other teens go to, or they can’t sleep until noon on Saturday. We had something we called Saturday chores when our kids were growing up. They started right after breakfast. Teen girls might grumble they can’t date or even court unless you’ve done a background check on the boy first.  And probably an ‘in your face’ check on top of that. We adults grumble about our kids because they won’t do what we tell them to. We complain about our boss because he or she is telling us what to do. We complain when we are hungry or thirsty or tired or sick or feel unloved or under-appreciated. We even grumble sometimes about our church. What?! 

Let’s be honest. Grumbling is easy to do and hard to die to, but we can, with God’s help.

  Maybe we can at least cut way down on grumbling if we learn to acknowledge three things. First,  grumbling romanticizes the past. We often talk about the good old days and usually we see them through rose-colored glasses. The Israelites were thinking about the “good old days” in Egypt. They don’t remember when they “groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help.” No, a little hunger makes them wish they could go back. People my age may look back to the 70’s and remember the “good old days.” You know… the Vietnam War, race riots, the sexual revolution. The good old days when teens were turning on to drugs and dropping out of school. Cool beans, man, those days were groovy. Even far out. No, I like the front doormat at one of my sons’ house that says, “These are the good old days.” 

Grumbling also distorts the present. The people of God had just been delivered through the Red Sea by God’s mighty hand. They had just witnessed a miracle where God turned poisonous water into sweet. That same God, the only God, was with them and had demonstrated time and again that He knows how to take care of His people. God told them He would rain down manna on them from heaven. He would feed them for 40 years. They were not starving, not even close. We should all ask ourselves and our children, “Are we really starving when we say we are at 3pm in the afternoon?” 

Finally, grumbling discredits God. This is one of the biggest problems. A complaining spirit points to a soul problem, a lack of gratitude, a self-centered heart that believes you are true north all the time. Everyone else is doing it wrong, even God. You alone know what and how to do what is right, and you grumble against God and everyone else. Moses told the people, “For the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against Him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”  Three times Moses told them that their grumbling was an offense to God. Why? Because grumbling says to God, “I cannot trust you. You are not a good provider. You are not a good protector. You are not paying attention.” 

One of the most amazing parts of this story in Exodus 16 is how God responded to two million grumblers. He met their grumbling with grace. He showed them His glory and He gave them the meat and bread they were asking for, in spite of their grumbles. That doesn’t give us license to grumble more that grace may abound! But it is a reminder that God knows our frame, that we are dust. And that He loves us.