Today is going to be so much fun.  I’m going to start off with a scripture.  And we are going to see if scripture has anything to do with real life.  Ready?  Brace yourself.

Philippians 2:14 Whatever you are doing, do not complain. And do not argue. 

Isn’t that fun?  Can you feel the fun we are going to have today?   Let’s keep reading.

Philippians 2:14 Whatever you are doing, do not complain. And do not argue. 15 Then you will not be guilty of anything that is wrong. You will be clean inside yourselves. You will be living in a completely good way, as God's children should. Easy English Bible

Scripture tells us: whatever you do, don’t complain or argue.  Because when you don’t complain or argue, that’s when you live as a child of God.  That’s when you will be innocent and pure.  Phew.  How did that impact you?  

Recently, I saw a funny post that said, “Momma raised a complainer, not a quitter.  I’ll get it done, but you are going to hear about it.”  That’s funny because we like to complain.

What does ‘do not complain’ mean?  The Greek word here for complain is Goggusmos (γογγυσμός).  It refers to muttering, whispering, or persistent grumbling.  It’s a way of living; it’s a default setting that is always frustrated and discontented.  And if you stop, pull back, and see the big picture, who are we really upset with?   It’s God.  God has allowed our lives to be a mess.  So we live a life that is constantly negative, fault-finding, discontented, and divisive.  Living a life that constantly complains, shows a lack of faith in God and a desire to quit on God.  Let’s read what God thinks about complaining.

Numbers 11:19 You will have to eat it not just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or even twenty days, 20 but for a whole month, until it comes out of your ears, until you are sick of it. This will happen because you have rejected the Lord who is here among you and have complained to him that you should never have left Egypt. GNT

In scripture, God views complaining [muttering, whispering, or persistent grumbling] as a rejection of His presence.  It’s an ungrateful and rebellious spirit inside someone who questions God’s goodness.    

The warning here is not only to not be this person but to not hang out with this person because they are toxic.  They constantly focus on flaws, mistakes, or shortcomings.  They quietly and constantly share their grievance with those around them.  Over time, this person destroys peace and unity in marriage, family, church, work or community.  And if constant complaining is in a parent, it makes it almost impossible for kids to grow up and be gracious, good, helpful people.  

What makes it even worse, complaining can spread like wildfire.  You know this already.  All you need to do, wherever you are, is complain, and everyone around you will join you.  You see this at work, at a school event, in line waiting, anywhere.  Complaining is so common that it’s weird when someone is positive.

Years ago, our daughters played field hockey.  The coach was looking for somewhere to train and found an old warehouse.  It wasn’t the best place, but it was inside, it was safe, and the girls were able to practice.  Next to me were parents who started complaining about the facility and the coach.  I was so tired of hearing it that I got up and shared for all to hear how glad I was that the coach took the time to find this place because without this place, the girls couldn’t play.  I went on to talk about how grateful I was for the coach and how good she was.  As you can imagine, the parents went silent.   And that might explain why nobody was super friendly with me.

Do you see why God views complaining as a rejection of His presence?  Philippians is saying, don’t be that person.  Don’t be the constant, toxic, negative, fault-finding, discontented, divisive person.  It has the power to destroy you, and it spreads like wildfire.

What is acceptable is when we honestly pour out our real grief, sorrow, or confusion to God directly.   It’s what we see in Psalms and Lamentations.  When we go directly to God for help and purge our emotions and thoughts before we go to others, that’s healthy.  Notice I said we go to God directly.  We are honest with God about everything.  Notice also, I said we go to God first.  I didn’t say we go to people first to process our struggle.  Do you see how that is different from being the constant, toxic muttering, whispering, and persistent grumbler?  Being honest with God isn’t complaining; it’s what it means to be in a real relationship with God.  Sharing with someone that they may have hurt you or offended you isn’t complaining.  After going to God, after your heart has been refreshed by God, sharing your grief or sadness about a real-life hurt with a friend isn’t complaining.  The context here is: don’t be the constant, toxic, negative, fault-finding, discontented, divisive person and spread that negativity to others.

Why did I share all that?   Today, we continue to jump into the story of the Children of Israel.  God has freed them from slavery and is leading them into the promised land, but there is something bigger going on.  Sam said in week one that God is trying to spiritually transform them.  How does God do this?  Real-life experience.  God leads them into the desert.  It’s not a nice place.  It’s hot.   It’s hard.  It’s a place that will test them.  It’s in the desert where they will be forced to deal with their immaturity, selfishness, and lack of trust in God.  

How is their journey to spiritual transformation going?  Let’s review.   Day one, they experience freedom from slavery.  The Egyptians gave them gold, silver, and new clothes.  They walked on dry ground through the Red Sea.  However, when they see the Egyptian army coming for them, they are terrified and assume that God set them up for failure.  What do they do?  They complain.  God comes through for them.  They watched God rescue them, and they sang, “God is our salvation.”

Three days later, they ran out of water. What do they do?  They complain.  

One month after being rescued, they were in the desert and began to run low on supplies.  What do they do?  They complain.  They complained and wanted to go back to slavery.  God gives them manna and quail.

Three months after being rescued, God leads them to Mt. Sinai.  They again experience the unimaginable.  God gives them the 10 commandments.  What do they do?  They make a golden calf and worship it.  Do you remember Sam’s talk last week?  It was so helpful.  Before we think the Children of Israel are crazy and we would never live like that, we need to be honest.  Sam said, we never wake up and say, “I’m done with God, I’m making my own god now.” It’s not that intentional for the most part; it’s more that life beats us up and wears us down. We deal with real problems, and real pain, and we want relief and real solutions. And God just seems slow, or feels silent, and the relief and answers aren’t coming fast enough, and the longer God takes, the more uncomfortable we become, and as that pressure builds, we can easily turn to other things for relief.  Those things can be our idols.

After being at Mt. Sinai for around a year, they continue their journey.  They didn’t know this, but they are only a couple of months away from the promised land.  Let’s read what happens.

Numbers 11:1 Now the people became like those who complain and whine about their hardships, and the Lord heard it; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp. 2 So the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire died out. 3 He named that place Taberah (the place of burning), because the fire of the Lord burned among them.

4 The rabble among them [who followed Israel from Egypt] had greedy desires [for familiar and delicious food], and the Israelites wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish we ate freely and without cost in Egypt, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. 6 But now our appetite is gone; there is nothing at all [in the way of food] to be seen but this manna.” …10 Now Moses heard the people weeping [in self-pity] throughout their families, every man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses regarded their behavior as evil. AMP

What is happening?  The desert is revealing their character.  Remember, this real-life experience was God’s way to transform them.  Instead of trusting God in the desert, they constantly are muttering, whispering, and grumbling.  They complained and pushed against God.  What did Moses think?  What they were doing was evil.  And we should point out that the complaints started with a small group, and it spread like wildfire into the whole community.  How is their journey to spiritual transformation going?  It’s not.  There is no transformation.  They are still struggling to trust and love God.  

When you read this story, it makes you sit back and think, who would do that?  Who would experience God in such a dramatic and real way and consistently complain and push against God?  The answer is we would.  We do.   Their story is our story.  Can you relate to the Children of Israel?  Honestly, I can.  I want you to reflect on your life for a moment.  How have you responded to God as you have walked through real-life experiences?  Let me ask you three questions to help process this.  How have you responded to God?

Question 1: In general, when life is hard, have you been able to relax and enjoy God through the ups and downs of life?  

Question 2: In general, when life is hard, has it been your excuse for why you can’t live out being a Christian?  Instead, it’s your excuse to go back to drinking, being unloving, holding grudges, checking out of church and relationships.  

Question 3: In general, when life is hard, do you find it common to become a constant, toxic, negative, fault-finding, discontented, divisive person in your family, at work, in church, and in the community?  Like a bull in a China shop, there are broken and wounded relationships behind you.

Twenty-two indicators that you might be a complainer and not know it.  This is the fun I promised today.

1. You don’t complain; you’re just being real.
2. You focus on mistakes like hogs focus on slop.
3. Your inner critic is your best friend. Beating yourself up is a sport. It’s not about pursuing excellence; it’s about using past failures as whipping posts.
4. You replay failure over and over.
5. Compliments embarrass you. If people knew the whole story, they wouldn’t compliment you.
6. Irritation is your normal response to most events.
7. You wonder why you can’t be like other people/leaders.
8. Playing ‘what if’ is your favorite pastime.
9. You call yourself a perfectionist and detail-oriented. Nothing is ever good enough, and it’s the reason you can’t move forward to accomplish things.
10. You don’t want people to feel too good about themselves. After all, most already over-value themselves.
11. You deflect corrective feedback with excuses and blame. The idea that you screw up is too hard to swallow.  
12. You worry that people are taking advantage of you.
13. You never really live up to your potential.
14. The last compliment you gave happened when Fred Flintstone was Mayor of Bedrock.
15. Church is a place to be a consumer; it’s what others offer you.  Church is not about being a disciple who engages and serves.
16. You focus on today’s trials and don’t focus on the power of God’s grace for each day.
17. You expect God to give you a life of health, wealth, comfort, and happiness.
18. View life through the lens of what others have and what you don’t have.
19. Believe joy in life is dependent on your circumstances.  
20. Common to regularly express dissatisfaction about leadership, the community, situations in life, change, and other people.
21. The reason you can’t live out being a Christian: life is hard.
22. Allow frustrations or annoyance to take over your mind.

I told you, you would have fun today.  How did you do in this assessment?  Do you know someone who needed to hear that? 

For this month of August, I have a challenge for you.  When something goes wrong, and you want to complain [that means be toxic, negative, fault-finding, discontented, divisive person], do something different.  Here is what I want you to do this month.  First, when something goes wrong, stop and think through it: Right now, am I actually discontent or angry with God? Second, when something goes wrong, go to God with your stuff, not people. In prayer, go directly to God for help and purge your emotions and thoughts.  Third, when something goes wrong, don’t complain to others. Don’t be a toxic, negative, fault-finding, discontented, divisive person.  

Here is another challenge.   If anyone around you wants to complain, ask them three questions.  Before coming to me, did you think through: are you upset right now because you are actually discontent or angry with God?  Before coming to me, did you go to God first in prayer to purge your emotions and thoughts?  Because something went wrong, are you becoming a toxic, negative, fault-finding, discontented, divisive person?

For one month, let’s live out Scripture.  Here’s why.   We are Christians.  As Christians, we believe three things about God. We believe God is in control.  We believe God is good.  And we believe God is loving.  And if God is in control, is good, and is loving, then we think and behave differently.   We don’t complain or whine because we believe in the character of God.  We don’t become toxic, negative, fault-finding, discontented, divisive people and try to get others to join us.  That’s why Paul said, in everything you do, don’t complain or argue.

Philippians 2:14 Whatever you are doing, do not complain. And do not argue. 15 Then you will not be guilty of anything that is wrong. You will be clean inside yourselves. You will be living in a completely good way, as God's children should. Easy English Bible

This August, do something different and see what changes in your life.  Whatever you are doing, don’t complain or argue.