Bitter Words: A 7-Day Word FastSample

The Desert Complaint Department

The enemy has waged a tactical assault against the mouth of every Christian. His goal is for you to create an atmosphere around yourself of complaining, negative self-talk, and ungratefulness.

There is a distinction between establishing a complaint and the act of complaining. A complaint is acknowledging there’s a problem. The act of complaining is when you begin to make an idol out of that problem. It remains on your mind, heart, and lips. The only thing that should occupy that type of space is God’s word (Joshua 1:8). When you complain, you effectively quench the Holy Spirit.

Every important juncture in the Israelite’s lives was filled with complaining. In Exodus 14, they began complaining because of fear before they crossed the Jordan River. In Exodus 16, after they crossed the river, they began complaining because they were hungry.

When Moses climbed the mountain to be in God’s presence in Exodus 32, they became impatient and began complaining. In Numbers 14, they discovered giants living there after they scouted the land. They felt inferior and insecure, so they complained.

The Bible reveals that complaining is more generational than it is situational. That means complaining has more to do with learned behavior than a response to an isolated situation.

In Numbers 14:29, God informed Moses that every person over the age of 20 would die in the wilderness because of their constant complaining. In Numbers 20:3, there is a chorus of people complaining again. What’s fascinating is the people complaining were not the same people from the previous chapters – it was the parent’s children who had now grown up. They learned how to complain just like their parents.

The Bible also reveals that complaining is more communal than it is individual. It’s very rarely the result of just one person. It is usually a shared event. The Bible refers to this event as a “chorus.” In other words, complaining is highly contagious.

Complaining is also more spiritual than it is natural. It has very little to do with what’s occurring in the natural. It has everything to do with what’s not occurring in the spiritual. So, the further you are from the presence of God, the more inclined you will be to become a complainer.

What kind of behavior are you teaching those near you? Are you more inclined to release a complaint or gratitude? What will you do differently today?

Prayer: God, the enemy has waged war against my attitude so that I may fill the atmosphere around me with complaining and negative language. Today, I counterstrike and wage war against him and every fallen angel. Let my thankfulness become my strategy, according to Philippians 4:6-7. Let my praise become my weapon, according to Joshua 6:20. May my worship to you become my shield, according to Psalms 28:7. I decree that my gratitude will become my attitude today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.