No Complaints Day

Some people love to complain. They complain about the temperature, or the food they've been served in a restaurant, or their boss, or their salary or something else. These complainers focus on what they don't have, or what they don't like, rather than finding something good in a situation.

The Bible makes it clear that complaining is a sin. It's easy for us to overlook this behavior in ourselves and accept it as a normal part of our lives, but God is very serious about it.

In my daily devotions recently, I read again from Numbers 16 about the rebellion of Korah. He was a Levite who complained about Moses' leadership and he stirred up a group of 250 leaders to oppose their God-appointed leader. Korah was a false leader because he was self-appointed. Frank Damazio wrote: "A self-appointed leader takes upon himself the authority and responsibility of a spiritual office to which he has not been divinely called." The consequences of this rebellion were severe. God caused the earth to open up and swallow Korah, several of his friends, and all their families and possessions. Then God sent a fire that consumed the 250 rebellious leaders.

Even after this dramatic scene, the people of Israel continued to complain. They complained about the food, the water, the desert, and their leader. God sent a plague to wipe out some of them. When Moses' sister Miriam complained, God struck her with leprosy. We're fortunate today that when we complain, God doesn't deal with us the way he did with the people in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, we should make every effort to avoid this behavior that God obviously detests.

If you find yourself complaining about something, ask God to forgive you and make a determination to look for something positive. I printed a sign for myself years ago that simply says, No Complaints Day. Let's try to make today a day with no complaints.