Grumbling

Verb	1.	grumble - show one's unhappiness or critical attitude; "He scolded about anything that he thought was wrong"; "We grumbled about the increased work load" grouch, scold kvetch, plain, quetch, complain, sound off, kick - express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness; "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about"
	2.	grumble - make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath; "she grumbles when she feels overworked" gnarl, murmur, mutter, croak kvetch, plain, quetch, complain, sound off, kick - express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness; "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about" I heard a very interesting sermon this morning at the church I was visiting. It was a very good sermon for me, and it's inspired me to work at not grumbling/complaining as much as I do. The pastor was talking about Numbers 14:26-38, which recounts the story of the Israelites, who have been rescued from slavery in Egypt and have finally arrived at the Promised Land. They send 12 spies into the land to scout it out. 2 of the spies come back speaking wonderful things of this land, the other 10 explain that there is no way they would be able to overtake the giants that live there, and that they would all be killed if they tried to enter the land. Well, the people complain, and complain, and complain. Grumbling against Moses and Aaron and asking why God would lead them out of Egypt, they were all going to die, maybe they should just go back to their lives of slavery. They don't have any faith that the God who freed them from Egypt will find a way to bring them into the land He promised them. God's response...He's TICKED!! He is so furious and fed up with the people's grumbling and complaining that He vows that not a single person over the age of twenty will set foot in the promised land. That God will not allow them to enter the land, but they will all die in the desert, and that their children will be the ones to inherit the land. This is serious business!! This is not an idle threat, and these are God's CHOSEN people, He loves them, He's saved their lives already, but He's sick and tired of their ungratefulness. I'm not sure I've ever sat down and considered how God feels about grumbling before today. Let me tell you, He hates it!! It makes Him very angry. The pastor talked about how grumbling is an attitude choice that we make, and that choosing to grumble withers away our capacity for JOY and THANKFULNESS. Doesn't that make sense? He talked about the fact that we grumble and complain because it feels good, it satisfies our sinful nature, but it is wrong. He focused on the fact that grumbling is venting about a certain thing, but not being willing to change it, or take positive action. Gossiping falls under this umbrella. Talking and complaining about people without being willing to approach the person and talk with them about how you're feeling. Ultimately, he said, when we complain and are ungrateful, we're really complaining about God, and telling Him that He's not big enough to help us. We are all invited to enter the Promised Land, but if we spend our lives complaining because life is hard, and being ungrateful for what we have, we are living in a desert wasteland, just like those Israelites who were punished with another 40 years in the desert instead of being able to enter the promised land. We have no excuses, we can't blame anyone else for our complaining and grumbling. It's an attitude choice. I'm going to really work at changing my attitude, and being grateful. I can certainly understand God's frustration, when I see my kids being ungrateful and complaining about things when I know they have so much compared to so many others. But I am just as guilty of it. I think if I were an Israelite back there, I would have been one of the ones complaining about having to eat Manna again, or complaining that this promised land was already inhabited by giant people. I'm not sure I would have responded with faith and thankfulness to the whole situation. I think that sometimes I forget that even though God is a loving God who has provided forgiveness and chances after chances when I fail, that my wrong actions still cause Him pain and anger. Thanks to the sacrifice Jesus made, God looks at me through His perfect Son, and sees me as His child, forgiven and clean with the guarantee that I will enter that Promised Land someday. but I am still an ungrateful, grumbler. I'm really going to work on that. Mel