Complaining and the Sovereignty of God

As I was working last week, I found myself complaining. As I continued to think about my complaining, the Lord reminded me of Philippians 2:14-15 where He commands us through Paul not grumble or dispute. Grumbling means 'an emotional rejection of God's providence.' (Thank you, John MacArthur) So, my complaining was essentially directed toward God's Sovereign plan. According to James 1:2-4 He had provided a trial. During this trial I should have joyfully thanked God for the opportunity to trust Him during something I did not like or want to do. Instead, I complained. Although I was only thinking the complaint to myself, the Lord knows my heart. I am convinced He was grieved at this sin. It is simply another example of unbelief.

As I continued my reading through the Pentateuch last week, the plan took me through Deuteronomy 6. I love this chapter! It is one of the most convicting chapters I have ever read. It scares the fear of God into me! Moses repeats over and over that God's commands and statutes are to be taught from one generation to the next. Moses taught one generation who taught their children, who taught their children, etc. The problem is that the Lord's commands and statutes were not taught as time progressed. Someone did not communicate God's standard, God's exact truth, God's requirement for righteousness.

Maybe you are thinking, "So, what! Christ died for us. It is different now." Well, first, the word of the Lord will never pass away. So, we still must teach God's word. Second, I am responsible to teach my children! I am responsible to teach my children to love the Lord with all their heart! That is pretty scary. If you have ever tried to teach someone anything, you will know that this is not simple. If that were not sufficient to drive me to my knees, I am also responsible to teach my children why they need to teach their children God's word! Therefore, the lives of my grandchildren are on the line. If I do not uphold God's word in my generation, teaching it to my children of the next generation, they will not be able to teach their children to obey God's word.

So what does this have to do with complaining? Well, if I am sinning when no one else is around, not trusting in God's Sovereignty over my work, I will probably do the same when I am at home with my family. I will then be teaching my children to disobey God's word rather than teaching them to obey God's word! I will be teaching them unbelief! The burden this brings is crippling! Regardless of my previous ancestry, my descendants are depending heavily on how I raise and teach my children. God's glory is at stake!

I cannot describe how heavy this burden is. Seriously, it impacts my breathing. Praise God it is heavy enough to drive us to our knees. Let us not resist praying for God's grace in teaching our children and this generation. It is Christ's Great Commission. It is God's command to us. It is for His glory. We need to seek His help to achieve His goals His way. Let us pray as if God's glory depended on it!