According to the book of Numbers, every single Israelite who escaped slavery in Egypt died before ever entering the promised land (there were two exceptions: Caleb and Joshua). Hundreds of thousands of people, all gone within the space of forty years, many of them meeting an abrupt and violent end.

You’d think we would want to stay as far away from their example as we possibly can. And yet there is one thing the wandering Israelites did that we tend to make room for today: grumbling.

The children of Israel were expert grumblers. They grumbled because they were hungry, because they were tired, because they were scared. They grumbled because they didn’t like the food that God provided. They grumbled because one person received more recognition than they did. Grumble, grumble, grumble!

For some, the last thing they ever said was a grumble. And yet what do we do today? If you’re like me, from time to time, you grumble.

Grumbling is like a wet blanket squelching any flame of hope or gratitude. It is infectious, spreading from one person to another faster than any virus. It is universal; kids and grown-ups alike struggle with grumbling. In fact, many old-timers have perfected the art! They’re almost professional grumblers.

The apostle Paul was not a fan of grumbling. He thought it betrayed an unChristlike heart, a heart of unthankfulness and entitlement.

When writing to the Philippians, Paul certainly had some things he may have grumbled about. For one thing, he had been waiting to be released from his chains for years. Every day he spent under house arrest, chained to a member of the Praetorian Guard. For another thing, his own countrymen had gathered in force to ensure that Paul would be severely punished for the crimes he was falsely accused of committing.

And yet he tells them, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14).

In our Equipping Class, we’ve taken a little time to study the early years of Baptist History. I’ve been struck by just how difficult it was for our Baptist forebears in the 17^th century, along with other dissenting Christians such as the Separatists. Many of them were banished from their homeland. Others were imprisoned in squalid conditions. All of them were slandered and maligned. And yet they frequently rejoiced in the grace of God in spite of their circumstances, remembering that they were redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Well, if Paul can wear heavy chains and await a capital trial without grumbling or disputing, and if conscientious Christians in the 17^th century can deal with heavy persecution without grumbling or disputing, why can’t we?

I confess that this is one of the sins I tend to excuse in my own life. Many a time a fellow Christian has had to listen with quiet awkwardness to my grumblings. Too often I’ve experienced conviction only after saying things I couldn’t take back.

In our context, we value “authenticity.” We abhor a fake or plastic smile, a Polyanna-ish positivity that paints over pain and pretends that life is hunky-dory when it really isn’t. And in this way we excuse our grumblings as just being “transparent” or even “venting.”

Venting feels cathartic. It feels good to call a friend and say, “You would not believe what I am dealing with right now!” But so often it’s not really helpful or necessary. It feels good in the moment but it increases our misery, kills our gratitude, and dulls our faith in the promises of God. It’s just a modern way of saying, “I’d like to grumble for a second.”

If you catch me grumbling I hope you’ll call me out. I don’t want to do what the children of Israel did when wandering the wilderness. I want to be like Caleb or Joshua, a man with an awareness of what God might do if we move forward in faith and obedience.

Grief is good. It’s part of life. When we bring it to God, He provides healing and strengthens our faith. Gratitude is good. It focuses our attention on the blessings that we didn’t deserve and often didn’t even ask for. May each of us replace our grumbling with gratitude!