01 Jun Is Complaining Evil?

I used to be a sensational complainer. I complained about pretty much everything. If it were indeed true that misery loves company, I would have been the most popular guy in the world. I’m not going to say that I never complain these days, but there is little question that I complain far, far less than I did before I accepted Christ in my life. Some biblical commentators argue that complaining is actually sinful, or a rejection of God’s love and generosity. Dennis Prager, in his commentary on Exodus in the “Rational Bible” series, goes one step further. He argues that complaining is evil.

Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. 3 So that place was called Taberah,  because fire from the Lord had burned among them. Exodus 11:1-3 (NIV)

This scene comes shortly after the one-year anniversary of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Quickly, they forget all God has done for them. The translation Prager uses says the Israelites complained bitterly. Prager, however, says the word for bitterly better translates as “evil.” Prager argues that ingratitude is indeed a form of evil:

“Gratitude is the mother of two of the most important human traits: goodness and happiness. Therefore, ingratitude is the mother of two of the worst human traits: evil and unhappiness…Complaining is a sign of ingratitude and unhappiness; one which feeds on itself, causing yet more complaining and unhappiness.”

Prager then argues that complaining is contagious, spreading like a virus, ruins relationships and keeps people from improving their lives. The key is to understand that ingratitude and gratitude aren’t habits, they are part of who you are:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV).

What does pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances look like? Oswald Chambers described it this way:

We think rightly or wrongly about prayer according to the idea of prayer we have in our minds. If we think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood in our hearts, we think rightly. The breathing continues ceaselessly; the blood flows ceaselessly. We’re not always conscious of these activities, but they are always going on. This is how it ought to be with prayer. We might not be conscious of Jesus keeping us in perfect, prayerful harmony with God, but if we are obeying him, he always is. Prayer isn’t an exercise; it’s life. To “pray continually” means to keep the childlike habit of spontaneous prayer in our hearts at all times.

Prayer and giving thanks aren’t to be things we do, it is to be our life, who we are. Our very nature is one of either gratitude or ingratitude. The first is what keeps us connected to God. The second puts distance between Him and us.

So, to answer the question posed in the title of this post: Is complaining evil? I don’t know. I do know that an absence of complaining shows people our hearts are set on gratitude for who God is and what He does. The presence of constant complaining shows our hearts are set on something else. What’s your heart setting today?