Complaining Andre Bercot

A complaining spirit also gives us an accurate measure of where our ultimate allegiance is. Have I truly made the switch from the kingdom of this world and its value system to the kingdom of God and its value system?

Well, good morning. I want to greet you. In Jesus' name, this beautiful morning. I am very thankful to be here and pray that you will be encouraged and challenged by my message. I appreciate your Sunday school this morning, Bill. It's a good springboard in what I would like to share today.

And that is, I want to talk about complaining, a sin that is far too common among us and its antidote: thankfulness, gratefulness, and contentment. First, I would like to begin with a story. I was actually going to share this a couple of weeks ago when we had the workday at my parents, but I did not. And the story is, what does it mean to take something for granted?

The expression to take for granted means to accept without question or objection and often implies a lack of appreciation or gratitude. For example, the fact that we have access to clean drinking water, at least for most people here in the United States.

Something I want to talk about that we all take for granted is the United States Postal Service. At the beginning of August 2020, I read in the news that the United States Post Office had made cuts and the mail service might be delayed. I didn't think much about it. Then we mailed a package to my brother, Isaiah, in Colorado by Priority Mail, and it was delayed. Then we ordered a package that was shipped by First Class Mail, and it was delayed too. I thought these might be isolated examples. Then Justin told me that he was having delays with the post office at Breckville Trailers.

I thought it was only affecting packages. However, during the week of August 16th through August 22nd, 2020, the mail delays really hit home. That week, mail was only delivered to the Amberton Post Office, not to our houses, but the Amberton Post Office three out of six days.

When we finally received all of our mail on Tuesday, August 26th, we had a lot of packages and letters. My mom and I carefully studied the postmarks in the letters. We had a letter from Indiana with the postmark of August 13th and several from Lancaster County with postmarks of August 18th. This implied that these letters were floating around the mail system for between one and two weeks before being delivered.

I thought this was terrible. Why is the United States Post Office taking so long to deliver mail? Then I thought about Honduras. The mail system in Honduras is not good and has never been good. And it was shut down on March 31st, 2020, for COVID. It's now been reopened.

And then I thought, should we be thankful that we can mail a one-ounce letter anywhere in the United States for only 55 cents? And this includes Alaska, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and even Palau. And for those of you who don't know who Palau is, that's a small island near Japan. You can mail something First Class Mail, 55 cents from here in the mainland U.S. to Palau, and it still costs 55 cents. That's pretty amazing.

If you mail a letter within Canada, it's about 80 cents. Within Australia, it's about 80 cents. And within the United Kingdom, which would be Great Britain and Northern Ireland, it's over a dollar.

I thought about this and its implications for all of us. All of us are guilty of the sin of complaining. I would like to define these words. Murmur is a half-suppressed or muttered complaint. Complain is to express dissatisfaction or annoyance about the state of affairs or an event. And grumble is to complain or protest about something in a bad-tempered but typically muted way.

Why is complaining sinful or wrong? And there are many reasons.

Grumbling, whining, and complaining are ultimately the heart's response to God, not our circumstances. It shows a lack of faith in God and His kingdom and a focus of getting what we want now or instant gratification. I'll read some verses that talk about this complaining.

This is First Corinthians chapter 10, verses 1 through 11. It says, "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses and the cloud and the sea. All ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual rock, for they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. But with most of them, God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." Now, these things became our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they lusted and do not become adulterers as were some of them.

As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Nor let us commit sexual immorality as some of them did, and in one day 23,000 fell. Nor let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed by serpents. Nor complain as some of them also complained and were destroyed by the destroyer." Now, all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Here's just one example from Numbers chapter 14, verse 1 through 4. "So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, 'If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in the wilderness, why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword? That our wives and children should become victims.

Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?' So they said one to another, 'Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.'" Psalm 106, verse 24 through 27, another verse about this. "Then they despised the pleasant land. They did not believe His word, but complained in their tents, and did not heed the voice of the Lord. Therefore, He raised His hand in an oath against them to overthrow them in the wilderness, to overthrow their descendants among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands."

And one last verse on this thought, and it's found in Philippians chapter 2, verse 14 through 16. "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God, without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain or labored in vain."

What does complaining say about me? Let us look at what it tells about my Christian walk when I complain.

A complaining spirit shows one to be inconsistent in his or her Christian walk. On the one hand, he or she is quick to praise God and offer thanksgiving for God's goodness. But on the other hand, he is also quick to complain about difficult circumstances in his or her own life.

William Law made this comment on this absurdity. "To see this in a yet clear light, let us suppose a person who have appointed times for praising God with psalms and hymns, and to be strict in the observation of them. Let it be supposed also that in his common life, he is restless and uneasy, full of murmurings and complaints at everything, never pleased but by chance, as his temper happens to carry him, but murmuring and repining at the very season, and having something to dislike in everything that happens to him." Now, can you conceive anything more absurd and unreasonable than such a character as this? Is such a one to be reckoned thankful to God because he has forms of praise which he offers to him?

No. Is it not certain that such forms of praise must be so far being an acceptable devotion to God that they must be abhorred as an abomination? Now, the absurdity which you see in this instance is the same as in any other part of our life. If our common life has any contrariety to our prayers, it is the same abomination as songs of thanksgiving in the mouth of a murmurer. So unless the common course of our life be according to the common spirit of our prayers, our prayers are so far from being a real or sufficient degree of devotion that they become empty-lipped labor or what is worth a notorious hypocrisy. Complaining shows us to have a discontented spirit.

I am not satisfied with my circumstances. I vent my frustration when things do not go my way. However, this is in direct violation of what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians chapter 4, verse 11 through 12. "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abazed, and I know how to abound. Everywhere in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." And a similar comment, Apostle Paul says in First Timothy chapter 6, verses 6 through 10. "Now godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men into destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." A complaining spirit also gives us an accurate measure of where our ultimate allegiance is. Have I truly made the switch from the kingdom of this world and its value system to the kingdom of God and its value system? You will have to evaluate that in your own life.

The scriptures talk about this transformation, this switch from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Here are just a few verses. Romans chapter 12, verse 2. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Romans 8, verse 9. "But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you, now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." Colossians chapter 1, verse 13. "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." John chapter 17, verse 14 through 19. "I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, that you should keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth, your word as truth. As you sent me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth."

Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 16 and 17. "Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new."

William Law talks about this transformation also, and I like what he had to say. The history of the gospel is chiefly the history of Christ's conquest over the spirit of this world. And the number of true Christians is only the number of those who, following the Spirit of Christ, have lived contrary to the spirit of the world. This is the language of the whole New Testament. This is the mark of Christianity. You are to be dead, that is, dead to the spirit and temper of this world, and live a new life in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Now, this is plainly delivered in these words, "Who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world." Galatians chapter 1, verse 4. Christianity, therefore, implies a deliverance from this world, and he that professes it professes to live contrary to everything and every temper that is peculiar to this evil world.

Saint John declares his opposition in this manner. "They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them. We are of Christ." First John chapter 5, verse 5 and 6. This is a description of the followers of Christ, and it is proof enough that no people are to be reckoned Christians in reality who in their hearts and tempers belong to this world.

Something else that I found interesting about complaining is that it actually physically affects our health. You might not know that, but they've had their studies. It does a couple of things to our brain. It says, first, our brain loves efficiency. Why? We can learn how to play the piano because we practice and the habits develop. It's the same way when we complain. We develop a habit of complaining.

Neuroscience research is discovering that each time you complain, your brain is actually physically rewiring itself, making it easier to adopt to that reaction in the future. Complaining becomes your default behavior. Complaining also does something else to your brain. Research from Stanford University has shown that complaining shrinks the hippocampus, an area of the brain that's critical to problem-solving and intelligent thought. Damage to the hippocampus is scary, especially when you consider it as one of the primary brain areas destroyed by Alzheimer's.

While it's not an exaggeration to say that complaining leads to brain damage, it doesn't stop there. When you complain, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol, something we've been talking about with Heather's Cushing disease. Cortisol shifts you into fight or flight mode, directing oxygen, blood, and energy away from everything but the systems that are essential to immediate survival. One effect of cortisol, for example, is to raise your blood pressure and blood sugar so that you'll be prepared to either escape or defend yourself.

All the extra cortisol released by frequent complaining impairs your immune system, makes you more susceptible to high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It even makes the brain more vulnerable to strokes. But I don't want to end my message there and only focus on the sin of complaining. I want to look at the antidote to complaining.

An antidote is defined as a medicine taken or given to counteract a particular poison, and the poison in this case is complaining. And the antidote is thankfulness, gratefulness, contentment. Thankfulness is defined as the expression of gratitude. Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful, ready to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

When you're grateful, it's a warm or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received. And contentment is defined as a state of being happy or satisfied with what you have. The Apostle Paul commands us to be thankful in First Thessalonians chapter 14. I'll begin with verses 14 through 18. "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and everything gives thanks.

For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Why are these values an antidote to complaining? First, these values help me to truly see my life in relation to God and eternity. God's values show me what truly matters in my life. And they are diametrically opposed to the world's values. I thought about how different the Christian spirit of thankfulness and gratitude is compared to the world's spirit of ungratefulness and selfishness, which we see all around us. As a Christian, I should give thanks to God in both good and bad times. My circumstances do not change my spirit of thankfulness.

I thought about my wife's aunt, Sarah, who died from cancer in December of 2017. Here's an example of a few things she said about thankfulness during her trying time. I don't know if any of you met her, but she had cancer for approximately three years and lived approximately those three years in a lot of suffering and pain and discomfort.

Just read these two brief quotes from her. This is in February 2016. "I have had a fever since the 21st of February. The gastro doctor is trying several ways to make my days more comfortable. Thank you so much. I am practicing praising the Lord to keep myself from murmuring and complaining." And then later in the summer of 2016, she said, "Last evening, I started running a high fever. And because of the sepsis, I have experienced what we call the triage nurse at Hershey. Though I am not feeling very well, I am still trusting the Lord and praising him. We are to join the Lord, not our circumstances."

William Law had a similar comment about that. "If anyone would tell you the shortest, surest way to all happiness and all perfection, he must tell you to make a rule to yourself to thank God and praise God for everything that happens to you.

For it is certain that whatever seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank and praise God for it, you turn it into a blessing. Could you therefore work miracles? You could do no more for yourself than by the thankful spirit. For it heals with the word speaking, and it turns all that it touches into happiness."

We read about this in Romans 8, verse 28. It says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." John Chrysostom, who lived in the 300s, says this, "For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God." Now, when he speaks of all things, he mentions even the things that seem painful. For should even tribulation or poverty or imprisonment or famine or death or anything else whatever come upon us, God is able to change all these things into the opposite. For this is quite an instance of his unspeakable power, his making things seemingly painful to be lightsome to us and turning them into that which is helpful to us.

Again, this Christian spirit of contentment is in direct opposition to the world's spirit of covetousness and discontent. As a Christian, I am to be content with the physical goods I have and to be thankful for them. But the world tells us just the opposite, that I need more and more to be happy. And if I don't have the things, I should complain about how my life is so unfair. We see that in the billboards around us. We see that with people we meet.

But the Apostle Paul tells us to be content with food and clothing. And Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, says, this is Matthew chapter 6, verse 31 through 33. "Therefore, do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.'" Another observation by William Law on the spirit of thankfulness. "If therefore you live in murmurings and complaints, accusing all the actions of life, it is not because you are a weak and firm creature, but it is because you want the first principle of religion, a right belief in God.

For his thankfulness is an express acknowledgment of the goodness of God's toward you. So repining and complaint are as plain accusation of God's want of goodness toward you. On the other hand, would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most. It is not he who gives the most alms. He is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice. But it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God's goodness, and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. All prayer and devotion, fasting and repentance, meditation and retirement, all sacraments and ordinances are but so many means to render the soul this divine and conformable to the will of God, and to fill it with thankfulness and praise for everything that comes from God.

This is the perfection of all virtue. And all virtues that do not tend to it or proceed from it are but so many false ornaments of a soul not converted into God."

How can I cultivate a spirit of thankfulness and contentment? Here are a few ideas I have, and I know there are many more. First one, ask God to help us develop an attitude of thankfulness in prayer through reading the scriptures. We can count our blessings. Everyone has blessings. It's pretty hard to complain when you actually count what blessings you have.

And here's just a few blessings, as there's many. We have our physical life. That's something to be thankful for. We have our spiritual life if we've been converted and follow Christ. For those of us who are married, we have our spouse. We have our family. We have God's word, the Bible. We have our church. We have friends. We have our homes. We have food, clothing, and the other necessities of life.

We have a job. And I was just thinking, we have the beauty of God's creation. That's something to be very thankful for. I appreciate the different pictures that the different ones of you send showing the different things, the flowers, the trees, the mountains, the sunrises, the sunsets.

Another thing that can help us overcome complaining is this thing. You might need to change those who you associate with. You may have noticed that when you're in a group of people, if one person starts to complain, everyone else starts to complain too. We as humans like to mimic each other. You might just have to get new friends.

And you might have to take action. Complaints can be a signal that action might be needed. Sometimes the next time you feel like complaining, instead of complaining, focus on what you need to do to change the situation. Sometimes we do need to change things. And the last one is cultivate a spirit of Christian contentment. Make a conscious decision to be content with what you have. This is a tough one because, again, we live in a world that is constantly bombarding us to make us covetous, to make us discontent.

But the Apostle Paul exhorts us in Colossians chapter 3, verse 2 and 3, "Set your mind on things above, not on the things on earth. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ and God." One last comment from William Law about overcoming a spirit of complaining by being thankful. "And for this reason, I exhort you to this method in your devotion, that every day may be made a day of thanksgiving, and that the spirit of murmur and discontent may be unable to enter into the heart which is so often employed in the singing the praises of God."

I want to end with a true story that happened in Honduras in the village of La Paz many, many years ago, as told by my father, David Berso.

The name of the story was The Value of a Toothbrush. You may remember this. And for those of you who don't, this will be something new. They were at a Society of the Good Shepherd meeting there one evening. And they were playing. They had refreshments, and they were playing some games. And this is how the story begins. "I finally called an elderly sister whom I'll call Maria. Maria is not one of our loan beneficiaries. But she was at the meeting that day as a visitor. The Bible question I asked her was, 'Name one of the uncles of Judah.' She thought for a while but couldn't come up with an answer. I went around the room, but everyone else shook their heads.

Eventually, a visiting pastor gave the correct answer, Esau, who we were just talking about today. The prize was a pack of toothbrushes. The pastor had already won a premium, so he decided to give the toothbrushes to Maria. The game continued on, and later there were refreshments and then various speakers.

After the meeting was over, we all sat around and visited. Within a few minutes, Maria came over to where Louise Vega and I were sitting. She was still holding the toothbrushes, and she had tears in her eyes. My first thought was that perhaps she was disappointed in her meager prize and was going to ask if she could exchange it for something better. She spoke to both of us, and Louise translated it for me.

It turned out that she had broken her toothbrush a month earlier. However, she had no money with which to buy another toothbrush. So she had gone a whole month without being able to brush her teeth. She had been praying to God to supply her with a toothbrush. And now her prayer had been answered with a whole pack of toothbrushes. I was speechless. Of course, I was very happy for her and was excited to know what God had providentially used us to supply her need.

But it was sobering to think that a toothbrush could mean so much to someone. We take so many things granted here in the United States. Most of us have little idea what real poverty is. I'd like to conclude there. I hope my message leaves you a challenge and encouragement to overcome the spirit of complaining and instead to cultivate a spirit of thankfulness, gratefulness, and contentment.