Having worked with people I have often encountered whining and grumbling.  It seems as though some people can only be happy if they are complaining. In fact, no matter what they do, there’s always grumbling and whining attached to it, but this is not a healthy practice. God wants us to be grateful and happy about everything. When we constantly whine and complain, it is an insult to God; we cannot resolve problems with whining and grumbling.

Philippians 2:14-16 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Messiah that I did not run or labor in vain.   

Nobody likes a whiner, but complaining has become so prevalent in today’s culture that sometimes we do not even realize we are doing it. So often we are prone to point out the tiny bit of bad in a situation, rather than focusing on huge good and overall positive.

Complaining can be so damaging. Think about what might cause your whine and complain. Is it doing a chore? Fighting with a sibling? Having to wait for things? Standing in line at the grocery store while some old lady searches through her handbag for coins to pay her bill? 

Paul says to avoid grumbling so we will not stand out, but instead we will be like shining stars because people will notice something different about us. This is so true. If everyone around you is whining and you show a better spirit, people will notice and will genuinely appreciate it. So what does Paul suggest we do instead whining?  

Philippians 4:4-8 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Yeshua. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

Rather than grumbling, we are to rejoice in EVERY situation, pray and ask God’s guidance. Here we also see the main antidote to whining: thanksgiving. It is awfully hard to whine when we are thinking about gratitude. Instead of negative fault-finding, we can be thankful. We put our minds on what is true, pure, lovely, admirable…that is how we can eliminate the whining. And how does this relate to our dealings with one another? 

1 Peter 4:8-9 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

In addition to gratitude, LOVE is the key to eliminating complaints. Often we wind up gossiping when we want to “vent” or complain. When we love, there is no room for ill feelings towards another person.

The Bible also explains the dangers of whining.  When Israel first came out of Egypt, they whined to Moses about the conditions and the lack of food. Even after God provided them with manna, they were still unsatisfied and demanded meat. There was no end to their grumbling. 

Numbers 11:1-2 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.   –

Clearly we see here that God can easily strike down whiners and complainers. But we also see that His mercy and compassion shine through as well. He’s gracious to hear of our woes, even when they are against Him. It is important to note though, that our outcries ultimately do us no good. God already knows our hearts and feelings. Complaining is really an insult to God more than anything else. It’s saying that what He has provided is not enough, and somehow we think our way will be better so we ignore or neglect the amazing power God has. Instead of whining against God or against others, we ought to be dwelling on His incredible might.

Here is another prescription to take care of the whine overdose. We should remember that God does care. He knows our grievances and if we let Him, He will strengthen us and get us through what bothers us. He will listen when we groan, but He would much rather hear from a heart of gratitude. When we pray it should be with thanksgiving. Constant prayer keeps us rooted in God’s love, but only when it genuinely demonstrates thankfulness:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Messiah Yeshua.