The Biblical Cure for Grumbling
By Linda A. Ratcliff, Th.D., Ed.D.
Edited by Grace Marie Ziegler, B.Th.
Philippians 2:14-15
“Do ALL things without murmurings and disputings,
that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God,
without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse
nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”
A few months ago, my husband and I took a trip back through time, visiting the city where we owned a restaurant for the first 15 years of our marriage. Crockett, TX, hadn’t changed much, still being a small East Texas town with some really nice people living there.
We camped at our favorite campground, where we had catered several family reunions. We went to a bluegrass concert, where old friends and customers played up a storm. We went out to dinner at our one-time restaurant with our former manager, and I have to admit they are doing a great job. And we went to church where a previous employee of ours is now the pastor at First Christian Church in Crockett.Pastor Tim Allen had worked for us at two locations, the restaurant and also our concession stand at Ratcliff Lake. We were friends with the entire family, and his father gave me the Dake annotated reference Bible that I still use today. Tim proposed to his wife, Tammy, in our back dining room, and after their marriage, traveled to England to study theology at the University of Cambridge.
Having known Tim since he was a young man just starting out in life, we were excited to hear him preach. But I was soon sinking down in my pew. His sermon title was “The Power of Our Words,” and the focus of his sermon was our tendency to complain. Tim had seen me at my worst, under stress when the restaurant was packed and things were definitely going south. He had surely heard me complain, possibly (probably) even daily. I was convicted from his first words.
After we left, I began to wonder about the spiritual effect my complaints had on our years in the restaurant. The original plan was to work hard for five years, and then sell the restaurant. But the years went by, and we were still working hard. Fifteen (15!) years went by before it sold. Had my complaining been the reason God delayed the answer to our prayers? Was God waiting for me to learn a lesson before He moved us on to the next season of our lives? I decided after hearing Tim’s sermon to examine how complaining may be affecting our blessings.
| CHAPTER 1: | A Complaint in Eden? |
| CHAPTER 2: | Our Thoughts Matter |
| CHAPTER 3: | The Complaints That Backfired |
| CHAPTER 4: | The Danger of Envy |
| CHAPTER 5: | Complaining vs. Seeking Divine Wisdom |
| CHAPTER 6: | Sibling Rivalry Turned Deadly |
| CHAPTER 7: | From Deliverance to Discontent |
| CHAPTER 8: | The Weight of Leadership |
| CHAPTER 9: | Questions or Complaints? |
| CHAPTER 10: | Complaints Converted to Peace of Mind |
| CHAPTER 11: | Complaining vs. Constructive Criticism |
| CHAPTER 12: | Place Your Burdens in the Right Hands |
| CHAPTER 13: | Complaining and the Reality of Mental Struggles |
| CHAPTER 14: | From Complaints to Surrender |
| CHAPTER 15: | The Wolf and the Pharisees |
| CHAPTER 16: | The Squeaky Wheel |
| CHAPTER 17: | Check Your Motivation |
| CHAPTER 18: | Learn Contentment |
| CHAPTER 19: | Leave the Light ON |
| CHAPTER 20: | Final Thoughts |
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