Grumble, Grumble, Grumble
(Minute Meditation – October 1999)
There is a cute little ditty we heard sung in a Sunday school program many years ago. The chorus is: “O they grumble on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, grumble on Thursday, too. Grumble on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, grumble the whole week through.” One verse goes: “They grumble in the city; they grumble on the farm; they grumble at their neighbors; they think it is no harm. They grumble at their husbands; they grumble at their wives; they grumble at their children but the grumbler never thrives.”
To grumble is human. Most of us do it. Most think it is harmless to complain and enjoy commiserating with others. But what did Jesus say? He told his audience, “Murmur not among yourselves.” Paul adds, “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
We remember a dear brother once saying, “How can we bow our head in prayer to our Heavenly Father thanking him for the food we are about to eat and then open our eyes and complain about the very food for which we have just thanked God?”
It is so easy to grumble, complain and murmur. Just because everyone else does it does not make it right. In fact, almost everything that everyone else is doing is probably wrong.
We need to adopt the attitude of gratitude and be thankful for what we do have and stop complaining about what we don’t have or what we don’t like about what we have.
God was certainly angry with the children of Israel for their constant complaining. We are told in the Psalms: “Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.” Amazing isn’t it that they complained about it? “And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.”
God was not pleased with their grumbling. “And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.”
Moses recounted how God knew when the children of Israel complained, even in private. He said, “You complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.” Moses went on to say, “And the LORD heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying, ‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers.’”
We all recall the incident when Jesus healed ten lepers and only one, a Samaritan, returned to say, “Thank you.” Let us follow his example. And let us heed the wise advice of Paul who told us, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
Are we getting the message that God does not like to hear us complain? We have so much to thank God for, let us show our attitude of gratitude by thanking God for our blessings.
Robert J. Lloyd
