The cough of a sinful heart

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing.”  Philippians 2:14 NIV

“Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?”  John 6:61 NIV

This past Sunday our pastor talked about a bible commentary he reads that asked a question:  Are you a worshiper who sometimes grumbles or are you a grumbler who sometimes worships?  It was one of those questions that makes you sort of think “oh yeah, I’m a worshiper but I know I grumble sometimes.”  Then, as he keeps talking, you start to wonder.  Do I grumble more than I worship?

The context of the question was in regard to chapter 15 in the book of Exodus.  “When they came to Marah, they could not drink it’s water because it was bitter (that is why they called the place Marah).  So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?  Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood.  He threw it in the water, and the water became fit to drink.”  Exodus 15:24-25 NIV

This is the same group of people who had lived in slavery until they were freed.  They had the physical presence of God literally alongside them.  They were freed only after God opened up plagues to get Pharoah’s attention.  They walked through a valley of water God opened up for them.  They watched as God used that same valley to wipe out an entire army. 

So, when they ran into a trouble spot like not having water, they assumed the same God who opened the sea had no power to get them a drink.  They grumbled.  I understand that they were thirsty, but they had seen God do miraculous things.  They sort of ran out of patience with the pillar of fire God led them with.  Men didn’t even have to stop and ask for directions, just follow the fire.  Obviously, this was the same God who had given them manna – literally food falling from the sky.  The commentary he had read stated that “grumbling is the cough of a sinful heart.”

We all have a sinful heart.  No one is perfect and everyone sins.  Everyone.  But when we are sick physically we cough.  We try to cover it up so that we do not get others around us sick.  Coughing is contagious.  It affects others around us.  Can we say the same thing about grumbling?  It definitely affects others around us. 

We all know someone who’s primary view of the world is skeptical.  Listen to the conversations around you throughout your day, a lot of them will be turned with one comment focused on the negative.  At times we don’t even recognize it, we just follow it.  We all have friends who look at things from a negative view, grumble and it can be contagious.  We have all been the one who introduces the negative in a conversation.  

We should remember to whom we are talking when we grumble. It can be a random person we drag down. There may be people who dread seeing me for that very reason.  It could also be God Himself we are grumbling to.  I wonder sometimes if He laughs out loud.  Maybe that is what thunder really is.  I do not have a pillar of fire hanging around, but I have been a witness to supernatural in and around my family for decades.  Still, sometimes I grumble when I don’t like a temporary situation I find myself in.

Be aware of your spoken words.  If you notice yourself grumbling, you can change that with the very next word out of your mouth. 

Be aware of the words you listen to from others.  Is it grumbling?  Is it contagious?  Change that conversation.  Offer up something positive.  If that doesn’t work, leave.  You don’t want to get sick.

In Exodus, why did God tell Moses to throw a log in the water?  God did not need the log.  My uneducated theory is Obedience.  Obedience is faith in action without prior evidence.  I think I struggle with that at times but God’s will does not always make sense here. 

Challenge:  If your heart is coughing up grumbling, give it some medicine.  Open the bible and read.  Look at the evidence all around you.  From the smallest thing in your day like having shoes on your feet to the hope of eternal salvation, we are blessed.  It is literally falling from the sky all around us.