May 1: The Ledger

Complaining and being grateful are mutually exclusive. Complainers don’t often show gratitude, and ungrateful people don’t often experience peace. The goal is to learn to replace a complaining heart with a grateful heart, because a grateful heart is a peace-filled heart.

An interesting story of God reaction to complaints or complainers is found in the Book of Numbers:

Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. (Numbers 11:1)

All the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" 4 And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."

11 The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they."

26 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 27 "How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28 So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: 29 In this desert your bodies will fall--every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has complained against me.
(Numbers 14:2-4, 11-12, 26-29)

Why would God have such a strong reaction to grumbling and complaining? Whatever you are complaining about, be it leaders, kids, money, whatever; that thing or person is a gift from God. To complain about the gift is to insult the Giver.

God takes complaining very seriously. How can we change from being complaining to being grateful? Try this exercise: take a ledger sheet or just a plain piece of paper and for seven days record every single blessing that comes your way. Then take a few minutes and thank God, praise Him, for all of those incredible gifts. When you begin to complain catch yourself, and try to see the positive side of that thing or person about which you are complaining. It is possible to change a complaining heart into a grateful heart; and a grateful heart is a peace-filled heart.

~ Father, help me to notice all your blessing and give credit where credit is due. Amen.