complaining is a bad habit

I want to talk to you a little bit today about something that has troubled my life because it is a very domestic way of living for us. How many have ever complained? I'm not talking about those complaints of pain, because sometimes due to illness, but complaining about being dissatisfied, or complaining about being full, or complaining about having a lot, or complaining about having little, or complaining about having nothing. It is a habit in our life to complain. We complain even just in case, to see if we catch something.

Chapter 10, in verse 1 of the Book of Job, there is a very interesting verse, always Job, the Book of Job, one cannot speak badly of the Book of Job, but I am going to speak badly of Job today. Yes, when one takes an example of depression, of illness one goes to Job, but look at the verse that Job presents us here in the book of Job, chapter 10, verse 1 says:

“Is my soul fed up with my life… Has anyone ever said that? Don't raise your hand, don't say amen either. “…. I will give free rein to who? My complaint. I will speak bitterly of my soul….”

Let the bitter, the complainers raise their hands. I think at one point... this sermon is not like preaching it before worship, is it? Because after worship it is very difficult for someone to raise their hand. Alas, but this was calculated like this, so as not to fall into problems of conscience.

Complaining is a common way in our lives today to be able to get things or to believe that we lack things. Mentally our society who does not complain does not have. That's why for many years, let's say, in the United States the welfare systems were greatly abused and today the welfare system is bankrupt. More and more cuts are made. There are people who complained about having and still received. This caused many things to change over the years and many benefits were reduced and since I have not lived here for many years I imagine that many of the benefits that existed 20 years ago no longer exist.

The complaint is part of our human behavior. The complaint comes from there, from the Garden of Eden. Why can't we eat from that little tree? It was the most beautiful, with its colors, its fruits, it was the one that the Lord had taken care of, but there was a complaint. We are going to call this term complaint as gossip, that word is more common, gossip. Has anyone ever whispered? There were many amens, I think that we had little adoration today.

Backbiting is part of this concept of complaint. Backbiting reflects our discontent. The gossip and the complaint, or the complaint that is the same, we are going to take the same concept for the idea, often brings in us doubts, lack of faith. The complaint in us provokes the anger of God. The complaint in us provokes the wrath of God. And we are going to see some verses in this hour and a half that we have left on duty…. How many are already sleepy? There are people who go to bed at 9. Who goes to bed at 9? And why did you come to church? Here we are going to finish after 9. You can go to sleep at 10.

When the Lord wants to talk to us, he talks to us after the time we go to bed, doesn't he? How many have received a dream message? Lord, why didn't you let me sleep, did you have to give me that dream now? Well, gossip will bring certain consequences to our life. I know that this church is not used to backbiting and neither is mine, just in case. But for others who murmur, I want to tell them that we start from a base: we were created to give honor and glory and praise to the Lord. How many say love to that? We were created to render him all honor, all empire and all majesty in his presence. We were created to give glory, to always give thanks at all times, in good times, and in bad times. How many have learned to thank the Lord in bad times? There is a blessing there too. There the Lord does not forget his children. There the Lord takes them and carries them in his arms and says, don't worry, this is a while, keep thanking me and I'm going to give you even more. Be faithful in little because I'm going to give you a lot.

But complaining is a habit and I want you to leave here studying the behavior, not only yours, but those around you, and you will find out tomorrow at work, with your coworkers, or at school, or where you are, and you begin to list the complaints of each one of them and you will realize that people really do complain a lot. And that brings an attitude to our life.

Job presents us with this verse and I took this verse because I think it's interesting when one's soul, when one's personality begins to define the course of one's life around always complaining. I am going to decide, here Job is saying, I am going to freely decide to complain. That's what it says. I'm going to murmur about all those things that I'm supposed to have had for the best but they haven't turned out for the best. Complaining is a recurring behavior in each of us. Sometimes we don't realize it. It is so habitual for us to complain that we do not realize that we are complaining. It is part of our idiosyncrasy. It's part of our vocabulary, but a church that understands that complaining brings a curse begins to stop complaining.

In the book of Numbers, chapter 11, and chapter 14, and chapter 17, there are a series of stories and it talks about the complaints of the people of Israel. But Job says, I will give free rein to my complaint. In Job chapter 7, verse 13, if you have a pencil write it down because we won't have much time to search, “…complaining brings depression…”, complaining continually brings depression. Depression is a normal symptom of these times. Depression is not a disease, it is the consequence of a series of events in our lives that lead us to a point called depression.

The complaint can be one of those paths that lead us to depression. If you read Job, chapter 7, verse 13 and if you read Job, chapter 7, verse 11, it makes us talk pessimistically, the complaint makes us talk pessimistically. We don't find value in anything, we don't find anything interesting. We didn't find anything entertaining. We did not find anything that could be of blessing. The complaint begins to take the form of pessimism.

How many are pessimists here? In the Book of Numbers, chapter 17, verse 5 and verse 10, these are key verses: Complaining causes us to rebel against God's will. The complaint causes us to rebel against the will of God. And it makes that every time God wants to do something we begin to question ourselves, we begin to wonder, will it be from God? Is that from God? Will God be doing this right or will he want a little help from us?

When our hearts and minds fill with complaints, we begin to doubt what God has determined for us. And you know what? God has proposed a plan, he has designed a plan for our lives, a perfect plan, a plan where you and I fit in perfectly. It is not here that the Lord called you today and forgot about you tomorrow. Or yesterday he called you and today he no longer wants to have you in his path. The Lord has a plan, he has drawn up a plan in your life, and it is not based on complaints, it is based on faith. It is based on believing in the Lord.

When we can read these verses and we can fill ourselves with what he really wants from us, we can realize that God does not want us to complain. God wants us to always be persistent with him because he still has many things for us.

I want to invite you to open your Bible to the Book of Numbers, chapter 14, verse 2. It says, “..and all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron and all the multitude said to them, I wish we would die in the land of Egypt Or in this desert, I wish we would die…”

The complaint leads us to be conformist. We are satisfied, we are satisfied with what we had, we are satisfied with mediocrity, we are satisfied with the style of religiosity that we led, we are satisfied with the lifestyle that we led. Sometimes we find that it was better, we get angry, because it seems that in the world we were doing better. How many have ever said that?

I came to Christ and since I came a number of things have gone wrong in my life… you know, when the light comes into your life, everything lights up. What you didn't see before, you see now. And that is the grace of having a powerful God who is leading us from victory to victory. You know what? Complaining can bring God's anger.

In the Book of Numbers, chapter 11, verses 1 onwards, it talks about how the people complained and the anger of God flared up and he sent like lightning, as a sample to a corner of the town, of the city, and the people he got scared.

When we complain we provoke the wrath of God. Complaints bring with them other sins. You know what? Is the sin of complaining or gossiping a sin? Backbiting and complaining are impediments to entering the Kingdom of Heaven. So there's no need to complain, let's think. Complaints bring envy, lies, discontent, doubt, bitterness, sadness, pride, greed, anger, curse.

How many do you want in curse? If someone wants to live in a curse start complaining. That is very short I tell you, start murmuring against God, start murmuring against what the Lord has done for you, against the wonderful works, he says incomparable, countless. I cannot enumerate them, says the psalmist. If you want to live in a curse, begin to ignore what God has done in your life and you will realize that the hand of God may move away a little.

How many want to live in blessing? Let us be grateful children of the Lord. Let us be a grateful church of the Lord. Let's recognize all the things he has done for each one of us. Has the Lord done things for you? Like what things? Save us, what else has the Lord done for you? Sorry? He forgave our sins. What else has the Lord done? He died for us. Something more contemporary? We're free. Provide today, provide. He is the source. It is not only the bank, he is the owner of the bank. It is not just the heavenly bank, it is the owner of the heavenly bank, and it is very different from it being the bank. From him comes, from him is born every work of goodness, every work of greatness, every work of a miracle, from him comes. He is the source of our provision. He is the source of our healing. He is the source of our transformation. He is the source of our regeneration. He is the source of eternal life. He is the source of salvation. He is the source of life.

That is the Lord. So if you or I have a habit of complaining, I want to invite you to put that attitude aside and be pleasing in the eyes of God. In the psalm, chapter 77 verse 3, ... the complaint makes our spirit faint, makes our spirit falter, makes our spirit reel. And I don't want to faint. I don't want to faint.

In Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 17, it says that complaining does not bring profit, it does not bring satisfaction. In James, chapter 5, verse 9, it says that complaining brings condemnation. Murmuring, complaining before the Lord brings condemnation. Don't you think that is an attitude that we should change?

In psalm 77, a psalm of Asaph. Asaf was angry with God because he wanted to have many possessions, which others had, and only he had to minister in the temple. And I like Psalm 77, verse 10 to 15, it says like this: “… I said this is my illness, I will bring it then, listen well, I will bring to memory the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of Jehovah, yes, I will remember your ancient wonders. I will meditate on all your works and speak of your deeds. Oh holy God is your way, which God is great like our God? Amen.

I read again the question: What God is great like our God? You are the God who does wonders, you made your power notorious in the peoples. With your arm you redeemed your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph….”

If you read all of Psalm 77, you will realize how this psalmist begins to reconsider his position before the Lord. So complaining before the Lord brings us condemnation and I am sure that none of us here wants to live in condemnation. Amen.

In Abakuc, we are going to see the Book of Abakuc, in the Old Testament, the last verse, Abakuc, chapter 2, verse 1, says, “…I will be watchful over me and I will set foot on the fortress, and I will watch to see what I will be told and what I have to answer, regarding my complaint…”

We can be firm on the rock that is Jesus Christ and when one is firm in the Lord there is no reason to complain, there is no reason to gossip, there is no reason to condemn, there is no reason to curse. On the contrary, there are reasons for blessing, for gratitude, there are reasons for joy because God will not leave us abandoned.

Close your eyes for a moment. God's word tells us that he is our keeper at all times. He is our helper. It is our provider. He is our healer. He says that he who wants to see good days restrain his tongue from evil. God wants to bless us and his blessings are waiting for each one of us. He wants to open the heavens above us and bless us superabundantly.

Lord Jesus, you know our hearts, Lord, you know that every day we try to follow and obey you and keep your word in the best way, but sometimes our human nature, Lord, makes us complain, that we forget how great your are you. Lord, teach us to recognize your works above our circumstances because you declared to us that we are your children, you gave us a name, you told us you are mine, you keep us, you satisfy each one of the areas of our life, I pray for this church, Lord, so that an example may be made, Lord, out there, joyful and grateful men and women of God, even in the worst moments, that circumstances are not a reason to forget the great things that you have done for us . Circumstances pass, but you stay forever, your promises are eternal. You remain with us.

Thank you Lord, for this time. Thank you Lord, for having us in your house of worship. Thank you for these times of prayer and faith that we were able to experience today. In the name of Jesus, Lord, we condense all of this into an expression of gratitude, acknowledging that you are Almighty God. Amen.

Save us when we return from our home. With your blessings, Lord, in the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. May the Lord bless you. May the Lord bless you. Give your brother a big hug and bless him with all spiritual blessings.