Thanks for NOTHING!?

I sat down with my wife and one of our friends and began to discuss Christianity and Christ in general just kind of what we have been going through lately and what the Lord has been teaching us lately. We began to discuss the "unhappy Christian" and all admitted to falling into this catagory of grumbler or unhappy. As we talked we found that this unhappiest came from a few places.

1. Ungratefulness in the heart.

Christ died for the World to be freed from Sin and Death, Christian claim to believe this but many times appear to be a Debbie Downer, this is because they either ignorant to realize the Awesomeness of what Christ has done for them or they know but haven't been strongly gripped by this wonderful truth.

2. Strong Spirit of Religion.

We found that even the most sincere heart can have this religious spirit dwelling in them and generally what happens is one thinks they deserve to be treated by all in a higher regard since they are a Christian, Or they have certain expectation on others around them that at times can be unfair and unChristlike.

3. Love of Worldly things.

Again dispite the sincerity of the heart, we found that Love of the World brought a damper on our Thankfulness, meaning when we first became Christians we gave up all of the "fun stuff" of the World and are now a sour bitter individual that can't have fun anymore. As we walked into the Christian faith we looked at all the things we were losing rather than all that we were gaining in Christ Jesus.

1.Some remedies for this ungrateful heart is thanking God even for the little things of Life.

2. Resting in Christ Jesus and being thankful for even the hard things we go through Knowing He has a plan and purpose for our Good.

3. Thinking of the Work of the Cross daily and praising Christ for what He has done dispite our circumstances for that day.

I don't really have an exhausted list of how to battle this heart condition, if you have more that have helped you please post them, Also if you know more symptoms or causes of this heart condition please post them because Knowing is half the battle. But my last point I wish to make is Christians should be the happiest people on Earth or the saddest IF they are mourning for their sins and the sins of their nation BUT this should turn into dancing and rejoicing for the Work of Christ Jesus. We must recognize that grumbling and ungratefulness are Sin and if it resides in us then its something we must repent of.

God Bless,
Matthew

Really it is unbelief - not believing that God has all things in hand. What we often fail to realize, especially if we have our eyes upon ourselves, is that that minor inconvenience that we are experiencing is God either trying to redirect us, get our attention, or teach us something.

I was listening to a David Wilkerson sermon today and he said that the moment we complain, we give place to the devil - and I think he is right. All Israel did was complain when they were out in the desert, and all it did was cause them more pain.

As we walked into the Christian faith we looked at all the things we were losing rather than all that we were gaining in Christ Jesus.

Like Eglons gut was a recipient of Ehuds left handed sword, so my heart has been thrust through by this statement. I am such a wretch.

Joy was set before him...

In the book of Jude verse 16, Jude labels the false brethren who crept in unawares as "murmurers." This is a throwback to Numbers 11:1, where I have read that the Septuagint (LXX the Greek translation of the Old Testament) translates "complained" as the same word Jude uses here to describe these murmuring spots in their love feasts. It is the only time this word is used in the New Testament.

The last six verses in Jude are the believers contrast to the prior nineteen verses, and Jude tells us that we need to do a few things: 1.) Keep ourselves in the love of God. 2.) Look (always I would interject) for the mercy of our Lord Jesus unto eternal life. 3.) Have compassion on some who have been tainted by this mess. 4.) Save some with fear, pulling them out of the fire.

5.) This is the most pertinent to your post...hate even the garment spotted by the flesh. In other words, when we are around people who are or have been murmurers...we are to be so careful to guard our hearts against those words. It is so amazing how quickly I can be carried about, and drawn down by other peoples dissimulation just like Barnabas was (Galatians 2:13).

Thank you for such a convicting word Matthew. Could you please pray for me that I will learn to be more grateful for the riches Christ has offered than remorseful over those things which I have given up...

Bless you brother. God has big plans for your life.

Ephesians 2:10

It certainly did, and great point!

I believe complaining about our circumstances is saying to God, You know you have done so much for me but its just not good enough for me. This is what Israel said many times in Exodus and Numbers, You know God you have feed us everyday with Manna that YOU gave from the sky but eh its getting old and something would be much better. Ultimately I have found the Human heart is never satified until it is finds satisfaction in Christ Jesus alone. The thought that God isn't good enough is a out there thought that would not only come from ungratefulness but pride and selfcenteredness but essentially this is what we say when we complain, "God your just not good enough."

1.) Keep ourselves in the love of God. 2.) Look (always I would interject) for the mercy of our Lord Jesus unto eternal life. 3.) Have compassion on some who have been tainted by this mess. 4.) Save some with fear, pulling them out of the fire. 5.) This is the most pertinent to your post...hate even the garment spotted by the flesh.

This is sound advise, this all kind of reminds me of Psalms 73 in which the Psalmist says

"1Surely God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart!
2But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps had almost slipped.
3For I was envious of the arrogant
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4For there are no pains in their death,
And their body is fat."

He corrects his wicked thinking by focusing on God's goodness and all the Lord has done for Him.

Also brother Jeremiah I think this is something we all need prayer for but I will certainly partner with you in prayer to be more thankful.

I agree with everything that has been said about why many Christians are unhappy and murmur and complain about their circumstances.

Christians that murmer and complain testify to the fact that self is still alive and wants to be in control. We must see that God is in control, no matter what kind of day we are having.

Praising and thanking God in and for all things will deliver us from much murmuring and complaining.

It is not our circumstances that defeat us but our unbelief when we are being tested and tried.

Just last night I was at the local prison and there were men in that terrible place that were full of the joy of the Lord. Several of them told me last night that they knew it was God's will that they were locked up, and they could see God's hand in it. Yet, we complain about the smallest things that interrupt our comfort.

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." ( 1Thessalonians 5:18).

"Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;" (Romans 2:12).

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials," (James 1:2).

"And at midnight Paul and Silas, in praying, were praising God with singing, and the prisoners listened to them." (Acts 16:25).

Mike

"Just last night I was at the local prison and there were men in that terrible place that were full of the joy of the Lord. Several of them told me last night that they knew it was God's will that they were locked up, and they could see God's hand in it. Yet, we complain about the smallest things that interrupt our comfort."

This comment I know is a fact, my dad said the same thing when he was in prison and he had many battles but he was thankful for the grace of God to chastize him. I think it would be more difficult to be in prison unjustly and thank God for it but as you pointed out Paul and Silas both praised the Lord as they sat in the darkest of strongholds.

Perhaps another reason we are so prone to murmuring is we fail to acknowledge it as a battle and view it as just a part of life. Complaining is something we through Christ can fight against we don't have to be victims of our own selfishness but can say no to the ungrateful and saddened heart and sing with David as in Psalms 42:5:

"Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God"

We too can ask ourselves this question and choose to Praise the Glorious Father for all things! Our hope is not in our circumstance but in the God who is in control, Our Saviour and God!

Another problem too Matthew, is I suspect a lot of us do not view complaining and murmuring and bitterness as a sin, but rather we tend to think of it more as a "characteristic" or a "personality type" or maybe even a "bad habit."

Great point, and I would suspect it to be true for most. I know for a while I knew it was a sin but hadn't been fully gripped of how unholy it actually is. It wasn't until I started thinking about others and how much the Lord has greatly blessed me that I see I have nothing to complain about and to complain is quite a bogus thing to do. I still battle this but its usually over what most people complain about things like the Weather but I have definitely been working to catch myself in even doing the small complaining things. I guess yet another thing to battle against is a false Grateful heart, one that in reality though it claims grafeful intention isn't truly grateful at all and still needs a great deal of work.