March 2026

I have been complaining a lot. I just realized it. I was pondering what to write for this article and going over thoughts in my mind. I started lamenting this and lamenting that. And then it hit me. Every thought was a complaint! Would I like some cheese with my wine?

Do you ever find yourself complaining about life? What leadership is or is not doing? What prices are or are not doing? What people are or are not doing? You get the idea. There is no end of things to complain about.

But is it healthy to complain? Complaints stem from a place of dissatisfaction. And that in itself is not all bad. Profound change has come from dissatisfaction with the status quo. Other times complaints stem from a feeling of powerlessness. Again, not a bad place to start. Often oppressed groups find their voice by coming together to overcome oppression. But if complaining is all we do, then we become part of the problem rather than the solution.

When the Israelites were wandering around in the desert, they began to complain. And God did not like it one bit. In Numbers 11:1-3 Moses wrote,

“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. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. So that place was called Taberah because fire from the Lord had burned among them.”

We were not created to complain. It is not a virtue. Nor is complaining one of the Ten Commandments. It is not even a fruit of the Spirit. So how come complaining is such a large part of our lives? We should take our cue from Moses and pray to the Lord for our complaints and the complaints of others. Perhaps if we do, the fire around us will die down.

The next time you are tempted to complain, be aware that you may just arouse the Lord’s anger. Try praying instead. The fire inside of you will die down, clearing the way for you to be God’s disciple once again. Peace to you all.