People who constantly complain may be doing it to get attention, to avoid responsibility for their actions, to brag, to gain power and control, or to excuse their poor performance. In Numbers 14 we read about an incident when ancient Israel complained. They had recently come out of slavery under the leadership of Moses. Every time the water or food ran out, they bitterly complained against God. It says: “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me. Now tell them this: “As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die. You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you.”’” Today God surely wants His children to be open and share their concerns with Him; yet if we constantly complain, blaming God for our circumstances, God may permit us to get what we ask, but with it may come unwelcome pain.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
