David Yarbrough
James 4:1
What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you?
Isn't it remarkable how easily we can transition from moments of heartfelt praise to bouts of grumbling and complaining? We can experience an awe-inspiring worship service, lifting our hands and voices in praise to God, only to find ourselves embroiled in a heated argument with our family before we even exit the church parking lot. How can our hearts and minds shift so quickly from a posture of gratitude to one of discontent? The distance between these two attitudes is astonishingly short, revealing our human nature's fickleness and our need for constant spiritual growth.
Consider the Israelites, who witnessed God's incredible power as He parted the Red Sea and delivered them from the hands of their enemies (Exodus 14:21-31). They sang praises to the Lord, acknowledging His mighty deeds (Exodus 15:1-21). Yet, just three days later, they found themselves grumbling against Moses and Aaron, questioning God's provision and guidance (Exodus 15:22-24). The Israelites' quick transition from praising to grumbling is a powerful reminder of our own tendency to forget God's mercies in times of trouble.
The apostle Paul urges us in Philippians 2:14-15 to "do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation." While this is a tall order, the key to overcoming our inclination to grumble lies in continually remembering and meditating on God's goodness and faithfulness praying for the life transforming power of the Holy Spirit to rewire our grumbling flesh to a grateful heart.
When we allow the words of Scripture to permeate our hearts and minds, we join the work of God in our hearts as He is building a solid foundation of gratitude and praise that helps us stand firm in the face of life's challenges. As the psalmist says in Psalm 119:11, "I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you."
Do you want to know the spiritual condition of your heart? Then just listen to the words coming out of your mouth. Jesus declared that “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, and blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19). Our words are an expression of the condition of our hearts. To guard against grumbling and complaining, we must cultivate a heart that is surrendered to the Holy Spirit and focused on the goodness of God. As believers transformed by the Holy Spirit, let us be mindful of our words, turning away from grumbling and complaining. Instead, let us use our words to encourage, edify, and build one another up in the faith (Eph. 4:29). Remember, our words reveal the state of our hearts. May we, like the Psalmist, pray, “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come before You asking for Your guidance to help us guard our hearts and our words, so that we may honor You in all we say and do. Grant us the wisdom and strength to turn away from grumbling and complaining, and instead focus on encouraging and uplifting one another. In Jesus' name, we pray for Your transforming work in our lives, that we may be vessels of love and grace, reflecting Your goodness to the world. Amen.