Complaining

[Supercryptid]

In accordance with these websites, complaining is a sin:

http://www.obeygod.com/sinofcomplaining.htm
http://www.growingchristians.org/dfgc/complain.htm

Now for a few questions:

1) Is complaining always a sin, regardless of what it is about? If not, when is it a sin?

2) What would be considered to be the Bibical definition of complaining?

For example, if I were to watch a movie, and I saw things in it that I thought were cheesy, would it be considered complaining if I said "That's stupid"? What if I were to say "They could have done a better job" or "How could they make a movie like that"? Is it considered complaining if I critiqued a movie and pointed out the things that annoyed me in it?

Another thing, when I found out my brother was smoking, I thought to myself "How could he do that?! He should have known better!" Would that be considered complaining? Is it wrong to complain about sin?

[lightsavour]

 I always ask a person to give me a verse when they make a bold statement. I dont remember any verses that say clearly that complaining is a sin, and until I do I will answer on the grounds that it isn't necessarily. There are many small things left up to the heart to decide before God what is right and wrong.

I have a better question for you.

 If someone tells you that complaining is a sin, doesn't give a good verse for it, and it doesn't sit well with you, then would you accept it because it sounds like a rule God would give?

 In all reality there could be a verse dealing with this, and there might not be. It really makes no difference to me, but that is because it is such a small matter (ie, complaining about something untoward in a movie, or cheesy.) However, if there is a verse about complaining im almost positive it would be in context, and would most likely be alot more like dissimulation between Saints, more like the complaining of anothers sin that you refer to. The best example to learn from is ....
  Matthew 7:3 "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"

 What profit is there to have anything but love for all people? Love is the centerpiece of Gods purpose for us. Ideally the wisdom to pray for your brother should be applied to even the tiniest of occasions to keep your mouth/thougts pure from any dissimulation at all, but I'm positive that God is more concerned about what you think of others than compared to what you think/say about cheesy movies. The BEAM that could potentially be in your eye however might be a rapid fire judgement of many small things that you allow to consume you, then that is no different than having one big judgement over just one person.

 Your question is good, but im sure if you dont have a habitual problem of overdosing on complaints against pointless problems, then you probably are just human... and God doesn't expect us to be him, just to love him and all his will.

Hope that helps a little.
God bless
lightsavour out

[Soldier4Christ]

In the following verse the word murmur means to grumble or to complain.


1Co 10:10  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

Also read the book of Numbers chapter 11 for a better understanding of the sin of complaining.

Yes, there is a difference between making a simple statement like "I can't stand spinach" and complaining about the trials and tribulations that we must go through while here on earth.

[bluelake]

In accordance with these websites, complaining is a sin:

http://www.obeygod.com/sinofcomplaining.htm
http://www.growingchristians.org/dfgc/complain.htm

Now for a few questions:

1) Is complaining always a sin, regardless of what it is about? If not, when is it a sin?

2) What would be considered to be the Bibical definition of complaining?

For example, if I were to watch a movie, and I saw things in it that I thought were cheesy, would it be considered complaining if I said "That's stupid"? What if I were to say "They could have done a better job" or "How could they make a movie like that"? Is it considered complaining if I critiqued a movie and pointed out the things that annoyed me in it?

Another thing, when I found out my brother was smoking, I thought to myself "How could he do that?! He should have known better!" Would that be considered complaining? Is it wrong to complain about sin?

You have complaining mixed up with having your opinion. If you saw a movie and you didn't like it , that is your opinion. if your brother is smoking, giving your opinion of the bad things that happen from smoking is the truth. it's not complaining. btw, engourage him to quit. Tell him of the dangers of smoking. Pray for him.

God bless you,
bluelake.

[Supercryptid]

if your brother is smoking, giving your opinion of the bad things that happen from smoking is the truth. it's not complaining. btw, engourage him to quit. Tell him of the dangers of smoking. Pray for him.

Don't worry about it. He said that he stopped smoking last year. Now it's a matter of believing him.

[sincereheart]

The antonym of complain is rejoice.
And you can't do one if you're doing the other.


Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. Psalm 97:12

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Psalm 98:4

[Mockingbird]

  Your question is good, but I'm sure if you don't have a habitual problem of overdosing on complaints against pointless problems, then you probably are just human... and God doesn't expect us to be him, just to love him and all his will.

Now, wait a minute...  We are called to be perfect, aren't we?  As it says in Matthew 5:48, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect."  I realize the Bible also tells us that no one is perfect, but that does not mean we are to give up on perfection.  I am not saying we should all strive to be perfectionists, but that we should always to remember to give everything up to God.  For example, if I were to say, "I complain sometimes, but that is because I am human, and God will forgive me as long as I love Him."  How arrogant I would be!  However, if I say, "I have complained at times and was wrong, please forgive me," then I will be forgiven. 

I am not speaking against lightsavour, or saying lightsavour is wrong in his/her thinking.  Indeed, I do not even know lightsavour so it would be foolish for me to think that.  My goal is simply to clarify on something that could possibly be taken out of context. 

As to the subject of complaining, as it says in Matthew 12:33-37, "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and it's fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.  You brood of vipers (the pharisees), how can you who are evil say anything good?  For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Words do in fact carry a lot of weight.  As Paul says in Romans 10:10, "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth you confess and are saved." 

As sincereheart pointed out,

The antonym of complain is rejoice.
And you can't do one if you're doing the other.

And if we cannot rejoice, how can we confess God's love?

Even if we rejoice one day and encourage others in the spirit of God, what will happen when they see us complaining the next day?  Thus, "Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit."  Matthew 17:17-18, and "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  Matthew 7:19

[lightsavour]

No offence taken "mockingbird" I hope your not mocking me though lol jk
anyways, if you take my whole post into context rather than just one point you will see what I am saying. I am referring to the humanistic thinking that we have/will have for all of time. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop the flesh from thinking base thoughts, we are not God, and we will not be God ever, even in Heaven when we are one with Him. My point was about thoughts or complaining against something base, not against people or important situations. There is most deffinately a difference, and in regards to all the many things we can still enjoy doing in life (media, sports, being artists) there are many small situations where our base ingenuity thinks about spirituality in a "too common" way. I am only trying to encourage people not be harsh against themselves for thinking many small complaints during every day, and to focus all energy on being spotless in judging/complaining about people/important situations... and when God blesses you to be thus, then you will also have much more peace to carry into your extracurricular enjoyments in life.

im not talking about something new your allowed to do, that the bible in fact says you shouldn't. Im referring to our present humanity and how it is reflected in the verse dealing with a mote/beam. If you are consumed with small judgements/complaints that perhaps NO ONE will ever hear... then it can still be a beam... i agree. But so can just 1 seemingly small jugdement/complaint about a person/important situation in fact be a beam. It is how you have to look at things. It is a mote to complain about something small that doesn't really matter, because it does matter, but its small.... right? But judging another person IS ALWAYS a beam, which is really the point of the verse I said. If you have a mote then be happy to do spiritual work to have it be gone from you, rather than fear that having a mote is pure evil... because being weak is not something to fear, but something to admit and move on forward from. None of us are perfect, and this is the forumla to not overdose on any form of judging/complaining....  I hope im not being misinterpreted indeed, because then people would think I was saying to strive to have a mote. NO NO... but as a young (in age) Christian, i can tell you that we can appreciate life in so many ways, there needs to be a formula of true spirituality where you know how to deal with your own thought based misgivings. It is the forumla of keeping your complaints to yourself through prayer/confession

Do you agree mockingbird?
lightsavour out

[sincereheart]

There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop the flesh from thinking base thoughts, we are not God, and we will not be God ever, even in Heaven when we are one with Him.

If you are consumed with small judgements/complaints that perhaps NO ONE will ever hear...

[lightsavour]

sincere heart, did u actually ask a question   ..... or more likely.... did u ask me something out of context that I cannot discern what it is?
im not against you disagreeing with me, if you can see how i took time to respond to mockingbird then you will see i would have taken time to respond to you too. I wont however, because i feel if you read the whole context of what I have already said in 2 posts you will see these 2 sections you pulled out to make perfect sense.

otherwise,,, what is your question?
lightsavour out

[Soldier4Christ]

Hi lightsavour,

I have a question on the portion that Sincereheart quoted. Are you saying that is the humanistic (flesh) tendency to think and not the actual spiritual situation?

[lightsavour]

I would say that God thinking to us is our spirituality, and nothing less would constitute good thoughts. Also I would say that in regards to actions for his purpose, that only in seeing Gods Almighty strength to give us that opportunity will ever equate us actually doing something for God. Thus we can do an infinite number of things for God in our lives, but it is all based on our motives in each moment, and not our positional truth. So to say because you are striving to do good that you are in fact thinking like God is completely wrong. Our potential good acts in time are in essence giving all glory to God (triune.) So our testimonies should always be humble and aware of just how much we ourselves need the message we are sharing to souls we hope would receive it.

 So yes I would say it is our spiritual tendancy(fleshly state) to think base thoughts, and Gods complete/perfect conviction to fill us with the opposite of us. Even before we get saved we will have a history to look back on (I hope and pray) that is both beautiufl/complex/simplistic. It is a history of God(triune) working to open our hearts to him, but it is also a history of slavery to the devil himself. After we get saved we have the Holy Spirit within us always desiring to have our heart more open to hear God, but in fact God is already in us fully, it is only us who can give more of ourself over to him. So to say that our base of thinking gets changed at salvation, or anytime into Gods thinking is incorrect. Scripturally we only understand a finite portion of what God intends for us to believe/accept is true. Our humanism/flesh will continue for all of time, all we can do is become more willing servants to obey Gods will and refuse our own.

It is the daily spiritual purpose of dying again on the cross with Jesus, and being reborn again of the spirit. We dont get saved again, but we need to redeem the time each and every moment, and the spiritual forumla is prayer/confession that will keep us always yearning to understand the door of Jesus more every day.

Basically what Im saying is this : Show me the most genuine spritiually influential preacher/teacher/pastor in time and I will show you a man whose thoughts continually fail him.

Does that answer your question?
lightsavour out

[Soldier4Christ]

A little bit drawn out but yes it does.



Mat 10:19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Mat 10:20  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.


Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Rom 8:12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.


1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

[lightsavour]

a few too many verses to corroborate something i already so eloquently explained, but yes I agree
lol
lights out

[Soldier4Christ]

a few too many verses to corroborate something i already so eloquently explained, but yes I agree
lol
lights out

Humility ........