GRATITUDE: Gratitude's Nemesis: The Grumble

Gratitude's Nemesis: The Grumble

Exodus 16:2 - 3, Numbers 11:1, James 1: 13 - 15

Scripture - Exodus 16:2–3 “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (KJV)

Numbers 11:1 “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.” KJV

James 1:13–15 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” KJV

INTRO

In the 1970’s there was a television series about a man and his adult son. The father spent a lot of his time complaining, being negative, he was intolerant, uncompromising, fussing, grumpy and he was all these things and more whenever Aunt Ester came to visit. That’s right you guessed it. That tv series was, Sanford and Son. One of the reasons this show was well received was because, as Hollywood does well, they allowed us to witness the main character, Fred Sanford (played by Redd Foxx), get away with exaggerated attitudes and behaviors on the premise of grumpiness. Because his character was able to express his irritability through comedy, the show became an audience favorite. However, if we were to practice his words and actions off the screen, we would be far from anyone's favorite. Because in reality, no one likes to spend time with a grumpy old complainer.

Studies have shown that few things are more detrimental to your health than a bad attitude. Because our attitudes begin with our mindset, if our perspective is stuck in the mud of negativity, our body, behaviors, mental, emotional, and even physical health will begin to take on this posture – a posture of negativity.

Grumbling and complaining undermine the grace of God and poison the heart. Let our focus be on gratitude and grace and not on the things we don’t have.

The Grumble

Ingratitude

Webster defines ingratitude as "the failure or refusal to acknowledge receipt of something good from another; the forgetfulness of or poor return of kindness." Ingratitude is the choice not to recognize good or kindness in our life. It is the choice to take on the mindset and the spirit of the grumpiness.

The Bible is full of stories originating from a heart of ingratitude. Many of the most disheartening stories in the Bible begin with a spirit of ingratitude. We all know the story of Cain killing his brother Able. Both brothers offered a sacrifice to God. Abel's sacrifice was acceptable; Cain's was not. Knowing Cain's sacrifice was given from an ungrateful heart, God rejected his offering. Cain's ungrateful spirit sparked a wave of stewing anger, which convinced Cain that the answer to his wounded pride was not a reflection of his ungrateful sacrifice but the murder of his brother.

King David is another example. David lived a blessed life. The Lord gave him a flourishing kingdom, a successful career as king, a wife who loved him, a healthy family, well-being, and provision. However, the moment his gaze shifted from the goodness and mercies in his life and allowed his heart to follow his eyes as he scanned his neighbor's rooftops, David coveted what he didn’t have. And in his heart, he became ungrateful. In turn, his ungrateful spirit led to the sin of adultery. Even with his repentance and God's forgiveness, the remainder of his reign was stained. His life was scarred by his sin. All because his focus shifted from the Lord's grace (charis) in his life, forgetting all for which he had to be grateful.

I would tell you that the slippery slope of their sins originated from the sly sin of ingratitude. One philosopher wrote, "Of all the crimes that human creatures are capable of committing, the one most horrid and unnatural is ingratitude."

Early philosophers understood what today's science has proven - that gratitude is a well-spring of life. It has only been in the past thirty years that gratitude has entered into scientific study. But the study of gratitude has its challenges. To measure a trait proven to be much more than an attitude, but the embodiment of expression, a value, and an emotional and spiritual connection is almost impossible.

Just as the vast science of gratitude is a challenging measure, so is the simplicity of its nemesis – ingratitude. Ingratitude begins in small ways and is often masked by other emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, making the spirit of ungratefulness a challenge to identify. However, though it may be one of the least apparent sins, it drives a costly price.

I want us to examine Israel's attitudes in its earliest days after they exited Egypt.

The Initial Grumble (Exodus 16)

After forty-five days of travel, Israel's resources began to run dry. With dwindling resources, their hunger and exhaustion overtook their reserve. The excitement over escaping their enemies and their newfound sense of freedom were quietly squelched out by their physical need. As their bellies began to rumble, their mouths began to grumble.

Exodus 16:2 - 3 says, "And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness," 16:3. The sons of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."  (NASB95)

Just as we struggle with the gravity of our physical needs, so too did Israel. Overcome by their fear of hunger, Israel's focus shifted from the Lord's provision to what another could provide instead – mainly Egypt. Their complaint surpassed their empty bellies to a resolve that Egypt could better care for them than God in their time of need.

Exodus 16:4-8. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. 5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily." 

Exo 16:6  Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, "At evening you shall know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt. 

Exo 16:7  And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD; for He hears your complaints against the LORD. But what are we, that you complain against us?" 

Exo 16:8  Also Moses said, "This shall be seen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD." 

So, the Lord, being gentle with his spiritual infants, heard their grumble and graciously provided for His children by sending them quail from the sky and birthing manna from the ground. However, Moses takes this moment as a teaching opportunity and addresses their toxic attitudes. In essence, Moses warns Israel, saying, "Hey. This attitude, this complaining amongst yourselves, this underlying murmuring, is not against us (Aaron and myself). Your words are against the Lord. Is this who we are? Are we a people that would grumble against the Lord's provisions? The Initial Grumble

We become what we behold. (James 1)

Moses understood what the people did not yet understand: that we become what we behold. The word behold here means an intentional awareness, reverence and acknowledgment to keep one’s attention drawn to something profound. If we behold anger, we become angry people. If we behold envy, we become beholden to jealousy. If we harbor frustration, we transform into a quarrelsome person whose arguments keep us from getting along with others. Moses knew that if the people beheld grumbling, they would become a people far from the heart of the Lord.

The early church leader James understood this well and spoke of this in his letter to the early church. When he surveyed his congregation, he found his body of believers was adopting different postures of sin. James urged them (as Moses did with the Israelites) to guard themselves. James tells his fellow Believers, many of whom were also infants in their faith, that even in the most significant trials, to remain strong with an attitude of Christ (James 1:1-4). For if they do not, they will become beholden to the sin that is calling them.

Read James 1:12-15. (NKJV) Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Desires that tempt us to place faith in any place other than the Lord (for Israel, that was Egypt) have the potential to lead us away from the salvation of the Lord. And to be directed away from the Lord’s grace (charis) is to be led into darkness, (death)

Let's come back to Israel two years after their initial grumble. Israel is still a spiritual infant, but now under the guidance and instruction of the Law. After nearly 800 days in the desert with the daily provisions of manna and quail, Israel should be passed a spirit of grumbling and living out of a spirit of gratitude.

Numbers 11:1 Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. 

Although the menu was always the same, Israel, living in the middle of a desert, was never without food. But the Israelites would accept the food of the Lord graciously, and again they began to complain and grumble. Our text says that the Lord burned with anger, and He demonstrated His anger by burning the camp's outskirts.

What exactly is grumbling? To fully understand God's position, we must examine the grumble. The Exodus story tells us there were so many arguments amongst the people (Exodus 17) that Moses struggled to find the time to lead his people. Therefore, Moses appointed elders to oversee the social and economic issues so he could focus on leading.

Moses highlights the grumbling nature of the Israelites. This sly grumble, often justified by its beholders, was destroying God's new nation. And Moses understood it had the potential to destroy God's people in the future. Why? Because he knows, as we read in James, that an attitude of ingratitude leads to sin that eventually pulls us so far away from the Lord that we no longer trust him. So, what precisely is grumbling? Why is complaining so detrimental to our faith? We become what we behold.

Grumbling is the complete opposite of gratitude.

To grumble and complain is to reject the grace of God. Israel's complaining surpassed their unmet physical needs. Their murmuring was a faithless act that insinuated God's provisions were not enough. Choosing to be ungrateful for their daily drop-from-the-sky and raise-from-the-ground meals and desire to go back to slavery in Egypt to be fed there instead was to reject God's grace and His offer of salvation. Because Israel's salvation was dependent upon them trusting in God. Grumbling takes the form of sin: discontentment, fussiness, gossip, negativity, intolerance, impatience, uncompromising, and unyielding mindsets and behaviors. Grumbling sneakily destructs the strongest of believers. It has the power to pull the strongest of believers - those who were once in awe of the greatness of their salvation - far-far away from God into the grips of darkness.

In essence, grumbling gives us a free pass to shift our focus from faith in God's provision to the problems in our life. It takes our problem at hand and turns it into a spiritual issue of the heart, which inevitably eats away at our recognition of God's grace in our life. Israel imagined they would be better off dying as oppressed slaves in Egypt than to die as free people in the desert. Although it was apparent by His provision that God would not have allowed them to die in the desert, Israel still would have chosen death by slavery over death by starvation. Grumbling has the power to bring us to this place. Ingratitude moves us backward in thinking and, ultimately, backward in living.

To live without gratitude and choose to grumble is to live life backwards. Maybe you are saying to yourself, "I don't want to live life backwards." Are you wondering, "how do I know?” We know we live in a place of backward living and backward thinking when we get stuck in the why.

Grumbling rejects gratitude and here’s why? If we allow ourselves to reflect on our grumble, an unquenchable emptiness can form within us. Our attitude of why me, is birthed from a place of discontentment, and this discontentment births from a posture of ingratitude. We have chosen to remain in a thought process that says, "This is not enough. This is not what I wanted. This is not how things are supposed to be. There has got to be something better than what I have. Why me?".

Ask yourself: Is there a sense of discontentment in your soul? Do you find yourself stuck in the why? Closely examine your thoughts, attitudes, and words. Ask yourself, WHERE DO I GRUMBLE? Am I complaining a lot? Do I look at my life and say: This is not enough! Or am I living in a state of I want, I wish, I had, I miss…?

Do I look at others' lives longingly and wish I had their experience, possessions, spouse, children, house, job, friends…? These grumbles that take the form of questions, murmurs under our breath, thoughts crossing our minds which at times seep out into our conversations, are, in actuality, what the Bible refers to as a spirit of ingratitude.

A grumbling heart is the opposite of a grateful heart. Grumbling is the complete opposite of gratitude.

Conclusion

The posture of grumbling does not have the final say. God's grace surpasses the grumble. He is gracious to forgive, and the answer to our ingratitude does not require a movement of mountains. You can begin to push the needle forward and start practicing gratitude right now.

Ask yourself: ● How can you move the needle forward in your life this week? Does it include a gratitude practice? ● If you feel stuck in the why, is it because you need to release something to the Lord? Do you grumble in your spirit? Have you taken on a posture of ingratitude? How can you replace this mindset with gratitude?

The beauty of the gospel of grace is just that – it is a freedom based on grace. You do not have to earn your way into a spirit and posture of gratitude. You can receive grace at any time and live in it. Practicing gratitude, accepting and expressing His grace, can begin right now.