IT'S NOT WORTH IT: WHY COMPLAIN?

Dearly beloved, This month shall be better and greater for you in Jesus name. This month I will be admonishing you on what I titled, “Why Complain.”

As we look back into the Old Testament and see how God dealt with the children of Israel, we discover that the Lord always considered their complaints as an act of unbelief directed towards Him. When they complained about their circumstances, their type of food, and even at Moses, God was displeased because they weren’t thankful for what He had provided them. He was disappointed that they refused to trust in Him to provide, protect, and direct the order of their lives. “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it, and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.” (Number 11:1). Complaining expresses unbelief and gives place to the devil. Complaining is an atmosphere in which the devil thrives, as it essentially honours him for dissatisfaction and discontent, he has inspired. Apostle Paul warned that complaining can actually give opportunity to the devil to work in our lives, as it opens the door to the destroyer; as it did in the lived of the murmuring Israelites who were destroyed in the wilderness. He said, “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer.” – 1st Corinthians 10:10.

In the book of Philippians 4:6 the Bible says, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Often time you’ll find certain people whose everyday life is filled with pain, discouragement and defeat. You will expect such folks to be quick to accept help at the slightest opportunity; but they would rather complain about the difficulties they are going through. We find a typical example with a certain man Jesus encountered at the pool of Bethesda in the book of John 5:1-8. He had suffered a paralytic condition for thirty-eight years. Though Jesus knew the man had been sick for so long, He still asked him, “Do you want to get well? The man didn’t answer the question, but got defensive and started complaining about how he had been abandoned by everyone, with no one to help him into the pool every time the angel stirred the water. He didn’t ask Jesus for help either, he ignored the important question and complained about the situation.

That is the same way so many people are; they complain to God about their problems, blaming others and society for the challenges they are going through, instead of acting on the word. The Bible says, “...count it all joy when ye fall into divers’ temptations.” – James 1:2. Romans 8:35-3 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulations, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or word?... Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Most wives don’t know the power that they carry and don’t really understand the power of prayer. Prayer is so powerful and it has the ability to change things. Rather than complaining about your husband, why don’t you pray for him. I have never seen a strong marriage without prayer because you cannot do marriage without being strong in prayer. Prayer has a way of changing ones heart, so wives, if your husband is not doing well, talking and complaining about him will not solve anything because the only thing that can make him have a change of heart is your prayer. The best thing you can ever do for your husband is to sincerely pray for him, if his business is not moving well, it is your duty as the wife to for him. If he is not treating you well, it is your duty to pray for him because prayer has the ability to change him. The Bible says, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything...” this includes your husband or wife or children, business or job; pray not complain. Pray and keep praying and give God thanks for the transformation ahead of you and you will experience the peace of God, which passeth all understanding in Jesus name.

Many Christians are complaining so much about their situations, to the extent that when you see them you literally see the situation all over them. Why complain about your situation, speak to your situation. In Mark 11:22-23 the Bible says, “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Many Christians discuss their challenges rather than talk to them. And that is not going to change things. In Mark 11:22-23 Jesus showed us another way out to effecting a change in any situation. He said, “...whoever says to this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and does not count in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatsoever he says.” In other words, to change any seemingly hopeless situation, what you need to is to talk to it. As long as you discuss your challenges instead of commanding a change, you are not going to get the results the Lord Jesus spoke of, the situation won’t change. Maybe its a growth in your body, and you’ve been complaining about it and receiving sympathy from everyone. It’s time to stop talking about it and start talking to it. Stop complaining to God about your predicament, command a change in the name of Jesus.

The Bible says in Exodus 14:10-16, that Pharaoh and his armies drew near, and when the children of Israel saw them they were afraid and began to complain, “And they said unto Moses, because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt. Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, Saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness...” This is the state of so many Christians, when situations come to look them in the face they begin to murmur and complain. They stop church, they stop giving, they start complaining. In verse 14-16 of the same Exodus 14, God made Moses to understand, I am not going to do anything about it, I have already given you the rod which signifies the Word of God. Lift up the rod and stretch out thine hand over the sea and divide it. God is not going to do anything about that situation, open your mouth and speak the Word to that seemingly unpassable red sea and divide it. Put the Word in your heart and release it from your mouth. Keep speaking and you will see the change that you desire in Jesus name. The authority has been given you. Don’t be afraid, you are an overcomer. You are more than a conqueror.

See you next month. God bless you.