Saturday, November 12, 2016

HONEST COMPLAINT AND MERE GRUMBLING

"O LORD, WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT TROUBLE UPON THIS PEOPLE"



EXODUS 5:22-23


Life was bad for the people of Israel before God sent his deliverer, Moses. After Moses arrived, things got bad. Thus, this prayer of Moses.  Moses returned to the Lord and said, " 'O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all" (5:22-23). Have you ever had the courage, or at least the inclination, to pray to God this way?

First, the inclination: It’s not easy to serve God. In the work of his kingdom, things often get worse before they get better. Abraham enters the promised land only to find a famine (see Genesis 12:10). Jesus is crucified before he’s raised (see Mark 15-16). It is almost axiomatic that the mark of any true work of God is opposition and difficulty. Don’t be surprised by this, and that you struggle. Take it to the Lord.

Second, the courage: Sometimes God doesn’t seem to be in control. Are you comfortable telling God exactly how you feel about how things are going? Or do you feel you need to edit your prayers for theological accuracy? It’s important that good theology inform the way we pray. But it’s also important to know that a healthy relationship with God (and people) requires the freedom to say what you feel: happy or sad, glad or mad. Read the book of Psalms – these are the prayers of people who had a healthy relationship with God.

But keep in mind the difference between honest complaint and mere grumbling. The difference is in the prepositions: Honest complaint speaks to God about the complaint, mere grumbling. The difference is in the prepositions: Honest complaint speaks to God about the complaint; mere griping talks about God. When you speak to God about your concern, you pray. When you complain about your situation to others, you grip. Honest complaint, like this prayer of Moses, is open ended and teachable. Behind the prayer is a question mark. Behind mere grumbling is an exclamation point. 

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts

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