Complaining

Complaining leads to rebellion.

• Satan complained he was not enough, so he rebelled. Eve complained in her heart what God         gave her wasn’t enough and the Israelites complained about slavery, dehydration, food, the       

   promised land and eventually they all rebelled too. I complained about God and my need, and

   rebelled with full blown apostasy.
• What complaining really says is “God, what you have given me is not enough, nor are you

   enough, but my way is enough.” Hence, rebellion.
• And the root of rebellion is witchcraft. So, the origin of rebellion and complaining is Satan 

   himself.
• How can we discipline our children for the sin in their hearts when we are guilty of the same sin?

YOU’RE A COMPLAINER
God lovingly rebuked me one day, after I’d been praying for much wisdom,
“Beth, you are a complainer!” Stopped me in my tracks.
“Where is your thankfulness for ALL I have done?”
Oh how could I be so blind!
He was absolutely right. Me, the last person on this planet who should be complaining. I have no excuse…for I have seen His face, His mighty arm, provision, miracles, healing, the dead raised to life, a healed marriage, precious children, safety, food, water, shelter, a sound mind, health and
more.
Really? Really? And I am complaining?
I have complained to Him and against Him in my anger and frustration of unanswered prayers. I have entertained grumblin’ and complainin’ like a spoiled kid.
So He has to smack me on the hind end (like a shepherd with an unruly sheep) to stop my complaining. First, He whispers in my ear, but after a long time if I don’t listen AND TURN, then lovingly out comes the rod. Just like a child.
“My sweet child, do you want to turn with just a soft scolding or do you want the beating on your back that fools get? Do you want to be wise or do you want to be a stubborn?” he says gently.
It is ALWAYS my choice. 

Proverbs 1 says, “If you do not turn at my rebuke, you alone will suffer the consequences and eat the fruit of your ways.”

Interesting to note, that as a child, “innocently” playing with witchcraft. For to entertain sorcery or witchcraft is to rebel against God. They are the same.
Not long after, I began rebelling against my Mom and school authorities. Later, it was rebellion morally, spiritually, then finally full blown apostasy - turning away from God as a young adult. I shook my fist at Him and said, “I’m going to do things MY way. You are not helping me so I am going to help myself.  All because of a heart full of complaining.

For rebellion is like the sin of divination.

1 Samuel 15:23a

COMPLAINING
Parents, THIS is why we discipline the hearts of our children for complaining, for eventually it grows into rebellion. But, how can we discipline them for complaining when our hearts are full of
it too. We stand before our children as self-righteous hypocrites – just as guilty as they.
How can we discipline our children for the sin in their hearts when we are guilty of the same sin?
It would be wise of us before God, if we repented of our own heart full of complaining, before disciplining our children for the very same sin. And this applies to ANY sin we see in our children. “LORD, show me in my own heart where sin resides, otherwise I have no stable ground to be able to rebuke this same sin in my children.
How can we take on the spirit of the wolf when we have become like the wolf.
The same goes for ALL relationships. As soon as we have grumbled and complained about someone else, we are just as guilty of sin as they are. Guilty of criticalness, resentment, bitterness and division. And I’m just going to say it…
Families STOP COMPLAINING about spouses and children and each other.
Congregations, stop complaining about your pastors.
Workers, stop complaining about your bosses.
Citizens, stop complaining about your government.
And females, stop complaining about males!
It’s wise of us to look at the sin in our own hearts and REPENT!  God asks us to repent of our complaining and be thankful.  One very wise man once told me, “If you’re going to complain about something, then stop complaining and do something about it.” And that “do something about it” means to first repent of the sin and second do what God is asking.

WITCHCRAFT AND REBELLION
They are like two sisters, birthed from the same wicked family. Witchcraft can lead to rebellion and rebellion can lead to witchcraft. Both are an abomination to the LORD.  And I saw this perfectly played out in my own life. Entertained witchcraft as a child which led me to rebellion and my rebellion lead me deeper into witchcraft.
So we could conclude that complaining can lead to rebellion and witchcraft,
because it’s from the heart of Satan himself. The father of all three.

NOT ENOUGH
Satan complained he was not enough and God was not enough so he rebelled. Eve complained in her heart what God gave her wasn’t enough and she rebelled (Hey, if it wouldn’t have been Eve, it would have been me!)
The Israelites complained about slavery, dehydration, food, and the promised land and eventually they all rebelled too. I complained about God and my need, and rebelled with full blown apostasy.
The Pharisees and Sadducees even complained about Jesus. “You are not enough, you don’t look or act like the Messiah we need, so we are going to kill you.” Hence, rebellion against the Father.
What complaining really says is “God, what you have given me is not enough, nor are you enough, but my way is enough.” And rebellion is birthed. 
Our grumbling hearts communicate, “Through my own wisdom, I’m going to find or become someone or something that is enough.”
That’s rebellion, that’s complaining.

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn!  You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the
depths of the pit.

Isaiah 14:12-15

The spirit of complaining has no boundaries, no limits. It will lead us to do things we never thought possible. The Israelites and Aaron - Moses’ brother built a golden calf to worship and perform detestable things in the eyes of God.
“You’re not giving me what I want, when I want it and how I want it, so I’m
going to do my own thing."
Complaining is telling God, I am not grateful for what you have already done.”
Complaining is…God you are not enough and what you have given is not enough either!
If our kids said this to us, we would want to close our hand and never give them anything again.
It quite possibly may be that this is the reason we experience God’s closed fist and not His opened hand.

I WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THEM
Surely, I would have been one of those complaining Israelites in the desert.
Because I already have been. In my deserts, I complain…entertaining the faces of complaining - grumbling, murmuring and criticizing.
And then comes the rebellion.  The Israelites complained and rebelled in their slavery in Egypt and their slavery in the desert to their circumstances. They complained about Moses, their enemies, the lack of food and water, the type of food, they complained to Moses, they even complained about the promise land – too many big, scary people. They did not believe God’s word – His promise that He gave many, many times.

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I
will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”

Exodus 6:6-8

They did not thank Him and praise Him for His presence and all of the miracles He had done on their behalf.

They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.
Psalm 78:11

God said I am going to test them to see what’s in their hearts when they have some serious lack. Will they complain, grumble and rebel or will they believe my word that I will supply their need, defeat their enemies, get them to the land I promised and continue to thank me for all I have done?  Remember, how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble and to test you in order to know what was I your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 8:2 

If they had not grumbled and complained, they could have arrived in the promise land in 3 days, but instead it took 40 years and only two out of 2 million who exited Egypt made it into the land.
God further said to me, “How long, Beth, do you want to keep wandering in this desert? I’ll keep you wandering for 40 years if I have to until this spirit of complaining and rebellion is beaten out of you. What do you want? Do you really think you can receive your inheritance on earth by complaining?”
After much testing, I now believe that praising God, thanking Him and believing what He said in His Word, ushers in powerful deliverance and our inheritance…now and for eternity.

 

APOSTASY
Complain about those who have wounded us in the church.

COMMON COMPLAINTS
Here are some things we like to complain about and here is what the Word of God says about them.
COMPLAINTS
God.
Jesus.
Government.
Leaders.
Businesses.
Neighbors.
Sickness/symptoms.
Churches.
Pastors.
Brother and sisters in Christ.
Our job.
Money.
Food.
Water.
Our enemies.
Spouses.
Children.
Family.
Clothes.
Houses.
The weather.
Our weight.
Our appearance.
People who make us mad.
Wrongdoers.
Chores.
Teachers.
Parents.
Siblings.

THE CURE FOR COMPLAINING
Jesus cures every complaint! But first, our complaining must be held hostage whether in our mouth or heart. They must be met head on with REPENTANCE, BELIEVING and PRAISE and THANKSGIVING.  REPENT of the sin of complaining and rebellion regarding the specific
need. Then BELIEVE what God has said about that need in His Word. Look it up! What does God say about this need which drives me to complain?
And when we find that promise, PRAISE God for what His Word says…THANK Him for meeting that need, because these words are now fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfilled EVERY word, every letter.
God is asking of us to not complain about circumstances, do not LOOK at your situation, but to ONLY look at Jesus and believe what His Word says about our need. This is walking by faith (what the Word says) and not by sight, which is what God wanted for the Israelites…to be FAITHFUL.
God was testing them. He wanted to see if they would believe His Word, “I will defeat your enemies before you and bring you to this promised land.” Would they praise God for His faithfulness or would they believe their circumstances and complain?
Always, the choice is ours.
It’s either Jesus or rebellion.
Lord Jesus, we bind the spirit of the enemy that says you are not enough, that your Word is not enough. We bind the spirit of complaining and rebellion in all of us, so that we may believe your Word, rejoice and praise  you in all circumstances. You, Jesus are our righteousness in all things.
You make us overcomers!

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Luke 10:19