Sometimes our complaining takes on less verbal forms too: a rolling of the eyes; a gnashing of the teeth; huffing and puffing; stomping off; or body language that conveys defiance, disrespect, or disapproval. Consider how you would respond upon hearing things like the following:

"Pastor, the offering was down again this week."

"Pastor, there's a telemarketer on the phone again."

"Pastor, the nursery director quit last night."

"Pastor, there's a transient in the lobby asking for money."

"Pastor, the deacons had a concern about your sermon."

It should be pointed out that complaining is not the same as grieving. The Bible clearly invites us to mourn when it is time to mourn. Neither is complaining the same as speaking out against injustice, danger, or heresy. The Bible gives us guidelines on when and how to do that. Complaining is not even vocalizing the deep distresses of heart and soul when life is difficult, provided we do so in a biblical manner. The Psalms are loaded with such laments.

Complaining is much more sinister because it involves the assertion of self to secure one's comfort, rather than the denial of self to promote God's glory. It is significant that Paul denounced complaining while shackled in prison-not exactly the best of circumstances. For Paul, complaining was not a legitimate response, even to the lousy accommodations of a wicked world.