The Day After

It’s the day after Thanksgiving weekend here in America. Striving to continue in each day in an attitude of thanks, how do we overcome a grumbling attitude? Answer: Hold fast to the word of life—believe what God says. To grumble is to deny the validity of his promise to work all things together for the good of those who love him.

In a culture that not only complains, but condones and encourages complaining, there are many ways to do it.

Tone. We can say exactly the right words, but say them with a wrong tone revealing an attitudinally-misdirected heart. Grunting teenagers. Nagging wives. Barking husbands. Angry preachers. All can speak biblically warranted sentences that are true in their facts, accurate in their assessments, and reliable in their testimony … and yet in a tone that grumbles against the vertical providence of God and grating against the texture of the horizontal relationship.

Looks. Whether we say the right words, the wrong words, or no words at all, we can speak volumes with a scowl, frown, sneer, roll of the eyes, or squinty stare. It is possible to grumble without a word.

Name-calling and other labeling. “Loser,” “loud-mouth,” “slacker,” “wimp,” “idiot” … all are terms that do not seek to offer a solution, to build up, to encourage, or give thanks.

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.—Philippians 2:14–16

Why not grumble? Answer: To shine. Our backdrop is a culture of complaint. Fault-finding and fussing are way of life in this fallen race, and when we are the exception, we stand out like a star stands out against a black sky or a single candle a darkened room.