Sometimes we find ourselves complaining about a situation or a person. I am not talking about a legitimate complaint, like taking an item back to a store for a refund or exchange. I am talking about the whiny complaining that’s coupled with self-pity. Sound familiar? Complaining has been around for a long time. Someone once said, “God created the world in six days; on the seventh He rested, and since the eighth day, He’s been receiving complaints.”
When leaving Egypt, the people of Israel were supposed to travel straight to the Promised Land in about 10 days. Instead, they spent 40 years circling the desert. One main reason was due to their grumbling and complaining (Exodus 15-16). In spite of God’s awesome miracles and faithful provision, they repeatedly focused on the negative. To complain means, “To express dissatisfaction.” Complaining has never solved a problem; it only accentuates it. Complaining is a dangerous trap . . . when we complain, we remain.
How do we break out of the cycle we sometimes find ourselves in? How can we step into God’s “Promised Land” for us? We can begin by reminding ourselves that God is good, remembering all His benefits (Psalm 103). He has already done so much for us. We can also appreciate what we have now and believe God to meet our needs. We can trust Him because He has a good plan for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). He knows where we are today, and He knows the next move. Let’s believe God’s Word and begin to say what He says about us. Instead of “proclaiming” our misery, let’s declare His victory!