Complaint Department

I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little.

-- Philippians 4:12

A common biblical theme is that God prefers the scenic route. In other words, he often takes people along indirect pathways to their destinations. For example, we read in the Old Testament that our Creator planned to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land (“the land flowing with milk and honey”) after he had freed them from slavery in Egypt. But instead of taking them on the shortest route, God made his people wander in the desert wilderness for 40 years.

This strategy led to several complaints, in one form or another. But God’s plan had purpose. That’s because he was more concerned with who the people were becoming than where they were going. It’s a principle that still holds true for his modern-day followers.

Unlike God, we can’t see what’s over the hill or around the bend on our faith-journeys. Our difficulties along the way might also seem unfair, so we’re bound to grumble. But what would it be

like if the roads of life were always wide and smooth? And what would happen if we never had to work for anything worthwhile? If we got straight A’s in school without ever having to study, would our report cards mean anything? Or what if we were given a high-paying job with an impressive title ... but had no responsibilities to go with it?

Getting everything on a silver platter might be nice for a while. But without experiencing challenges, responsibilities and even tragedies, we would quickly become lazy, self-centered and ultimately fail to reap some of life’s greatest rewards. Just ask anyone who worked their way through college or took a second or third job to pay the mortgage -— or send their child to a better school. They probably faced trying times. But their efforts paid off in the long run.

The apostle Paul knew a thing or two about rough roads along the journey:

“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,” he wrote in 2 Corinthians. “I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.”

If anyone had something to complain about, it was Paul. Yet he said that he was joyful.

Complaining about our circumstances, whether they’re real or perceived, is a common human tendency that’s been around long before Old Testament times. But that’s not God’s way for us. Instead, we should blend thanksgiving (for our blessings) and authentic, regular prayer with discernment — the ongoing intentional functions of living, thinking and acting positively. And when we do, even the most unpleasant of situations won’t bring us down.