Complaint Causes Destruction

Dealing with complaint in your life will save your home. Be aware of the seemingly harmless sparks that fly. Those sparks have the potential to destroy everything. Read more...

​1 Corinthians 10:10 - And do not grumble, as some of them did–and were killed by the destroying angel.

Do you see complaint as a natural part of life… perhaps even a bit necessary to live as a human? We know how good life could be "if only……" Any sense of gratitude can quickly get overwhelmed by what we call "the realities of life."

If we realized how destructive complaint was, we would stay far away. God actually has made this very clear to us in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 10:6 talks about the accounting of Israel's history and says, "Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did." One of the highlighted evils that the Israelites engaged in was complaint. It was this complaint that led to their ultimate destruction.

In the event referred to in 1 Corinthians 10:10, many Israelites ended up dying as a result of complaint. This is not a matter to be taken lightly. In fact, it was complaint that cost the Israelites their whole inheritance. Numbers 14:30-35 At the edge of the Promised Land, the Israelites complained that it would be too difficult to possess. They ended up dying in the desert and never seeing their inheritance. It all had to do with complaint.

Complaint has its source in unbelief. When we believe the lie that God is not good or not good enough, we complain. When we believe the lie that God will fail us, that he won't satisfy us, we complain. Hebrews 3:19 says, "So we see that they [Israelites] were not able to enter [the Promised Land], because of their unbelief." Unbelief is the seedbed of complaint.

Do you notice how easy it is for complaint to roll through your mind or from your lips? If left unchecked, it will lead to a great loss of inheritance and your ultimate destruction. It is not a pesky little problem. Deal with your unbelief through repentance. Acknowledge any lie regarding God's character that resides within you. Confess and repent of any specific situations or relationships that you typically complain about. Free yourself from complaint by recognizing its destructive capacity. Stay far away from complaint through active thanksgiving.