Complaining Christians

[00:00:19] Welcome to this episode of Become A Competent Biblical Counselor. I'm Dr. Dave Jones and today's episode is entitled Complaining Christians.

[00:00:30] So, some Christians make themselves miserable. I don't know whether you are one of those people or not, but I guess all of us do it at one time or another.

[00:00:39] But because we're sinners, we bring misery upon ourselves as a result of our own sin. And one of the ways in which we do it is by complaining. Just think of it.

[00:00:49] Christians complaining. You know, we use language for two purposes. Sometimes we fail to recognize that language is not only used by us to speak to others, but language is used to talk to ourselves.

[00:01:03] And even when we're talking to others, we're listening and what we hear, we tend to believe.

[00:01:08] When we talk to ourselves, we are much more persuasive in general than we are when we talk to others.

[00:01:14] We believe in the things that we say.

[00:01:17] For example, so often we hear people say things like,

[00:01:20] Oh, I can't cope. I just can't do it. I can't handle the problem.

[00:01:26] And when they say it, often enough, they begin to believe the word can't really describe the situation.

[00:01:32] The fact of the matter is that if it is something that God has told them that they should do, they can do it if they do it his way.

[00:01:41] What they ought to be saying, according to biblical language and biblical concepts, is,

[00:01:45] I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

[00:01:49] You see, in their own strength, of course, they cannot.

[00:01:54] But the fact is that we have the strength of God, of Jesus Christ himself, and the power and person of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us to do all the things that God has required of us.

[00:02:06] So we can do what he tells us to do if we do it in accordance with the word of God and upon reliance upon the spirit of God.

[00:02:14] So when people use language that way, they need to be confronted about their language.

[00:02:20] For instance, often an older person will say to us in counseling,

[00:02:24] Well, we're telling him about what God requires in the way of change in his life.

[00:02:30] Well, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but you know that phrase he often thinks will bring the discussion to a screeching halt.

[00:02:38] Usually it has in his own mind, or it has in a discussion with other people who have urged him to change.

[00:02:45] But you see, we don't settle for that.

[00:02:47] I usually say to the person who uses that old cliche, and I must hear it, I guess three or four times a month,

[00:02:53] that I don't know.

[00:02:55] I really don't know whether you can teach an old dog new tricks or not, because I'm not really an animal trainer.

[00:03:02] But one thing I do know is that you're not an old dog.

[00:03:05] You're a man who was created in the image of the living God.

[00:03:09] And if you're a Christian, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

[00:03:14] And that begins to make him think.

[00:03:16] And so we need then to watch our language.

[00:03:19] And people who complain are people who have a vocabulary,

[00:03:22] who have phrases that they just keep saying over and over and over again,

[00:03:27] that they soon come to believe.

[00:03:30] Like, oh my, how terrible this is.

[00:03:33] Or, oh, I wish things were different.

[00:03:35] I wish I hadn't done that.

[00:03:37] Or, look how awful everything has become.

[00:03:39] Or, oh, my things are getting worse every day.

[00:03:42] You know, it's time that such Christians came to grips with a verse that they repeat,

[00:03:49] but don't think very much about, and certainly don't apply it to their lives in this respect of dealing with their language.

[00:03:56] Romans 8.28 says,

[00:04:06] What a great verse.

[00:04:08] Notice what it tells us.

[00:04:10] It tells us, first of all, that God is in control of all things.

[00:04:16] That things don't just happen.

[00:04:18] They don't just occur.

[00:04:20] They don't just take place outside of the pale of his concern or influence or power.

[00:04:26] This verse tells us that the world is not out of control.

[00:04:31] It tells us that God still sits upon the throne and wields the power that makes this world move as it does.

[00:04:38] After all, it's not riots in the streets or wars that have changed God, but God is in control of all of the things,

[00:04:47] and in some marvelous and mysterious way, he is bringing about his purposes through them.

[00:04:54] Not one of these things has gotten beyond, beyond his ability to control.

[00:04:59] Indeed, he is the one who is at the controls.

[00:05:02] He is the one who is sovereign over it all.

[00:05:05] So the first thing that this verse tells us is that we can hope and we can be assured,

[00:05:10] even in the midst of changing fortunes around us and all sorts of unforeseen differences and circumstances of life,

[00:05:17] big or small, in our lives or in the world's history, we can be sure that God is in control.

[00:05:24] Not a sparrow falls without your Heavenly Father knowing.

[00:05:28] It's not that God's only concerned about big things like world affairs.

[00:05:32] He really cares about even the hairs on your head, which he has numbered.

[00:05:37] He knows about all of them.

[00:05:39] He cares about them all.

[00:05:41] He works in all of these things, and he is in control, therefore, of those problems,

[00:05:46] those difficulties that have come into your life.

[00:05:49] They are not out of control.

[00:05:51] They are under God's sovereign, powerful control.

[00:05:55] And he is at the controls, working all things according to what?

[00:06:00] His will.

[00:06:02] But secondly, this verse, notice, tells us that God is controlling all things for his purposes.

[00:06:09] These things are not just unmeaning, purposeless events.

[00:06:13] These are events which someday, when we look back on them all from God's perspective, will make sense.

[00:06:21] They'll all make great sense when we see them as he sees them.

[00:06:26] God is not a God of confusion and disorder.

[00:06:29] He's a God who plans.

[00:06:30] He plans his work, and then he works his plan.

[00:06:34] He's a God of schedule.

[00:06:36] Nothing happens apart from his time and his ways.

[00:06:40] God sets one up and takes another down off of the thrones of the world's kings or out of the great democracies or countries of this world.

[00:06:49] He is in control of it all.

[00:06:52] And God takes one away, and God gives another in birth and in death and our individual homes and lives.

[00:06:59] God is God.

[00:07:01] He's powerful.

[00:07:02] He's sovereign.

[00:07:04] He's at the controls.

[00:07:05] But thirdly, notice that God is controlling all things, not only for his own glory and for his own plans and purposes,

[00:07:13] but those plans and purposes have included the welfare of his people.

[00:07:17] God works all things together for good to those who love him.

[00:07:22] That is, those who have been caused to love him by his prior love in Jesus Christ to them,

[00:07:29] the one who loved them and gave himself for them.

[00:07:32] So, you take your problem this morning, you take your headache, you take your sorrow or your grief, whatever it may be,

[00:07:39] take that problem and put it in the blank, not bank, blank, B-L-A-N-K.

[00:07:47] Fill in the blank with it.

[00:07:49] Even that works together for good.

[00:07:52] Even that God is doing for your blessing.

[00:07:55] Even that, whatever the problem is, God is working together to honor him.

[00:08:00] Him.

[00:08:01] It's under his control and is for the welfare, as well as the welfare for the whole church of Christ.

[00:08:10] Now, you may never see how it is until death.

[00:08:13] You can't really see this world or know as you are known until you go to be with Christ and begin to think like him.

[00:08:21] Him.

[00:08:21] And become like him in a perfect way.

[00:08:25] And to see the beginning from the end as he does.

[00:08:29] That's what faith, of course, is all about here.

[00:08:32] The believer's faith is not just a faith that begins by trusting Christ for salvation in days to come.

[00:08:38] It's a faith that continues to trust all along the way of life right here.

[00:08:44] But not only that, if you are a complainer who makes yourself miserable by failing to recognize these faults,

[00:08:51] your very complaining attitude and your words and all the rest of it will keep you from seeing what you could see of this blessing right here and now.

[00:09:00] Very often, God gives us the opportunity to see how things work together for good even in this world.

[00:09:07] But complaints keep us from seeing it.

[00:09:10] So, recognize Romans 8.28 and wash away those complaints and give praise and thanksgiving to God.

[00:09:18] Lord, we do this in this hour.

[00:09:21] In Christ's name.

[00:09:22] Amen.

[00:09:23] So, think about the opportunity that you have from time to time about complaining.

[00:09:29] Stop it.

[00:09:30] Start replacing your complaining with blessings.

[00:09:34] If you have any questions or concerns, contact me.

[00:09:37] Bible help for you.

[00:09:39] That's Bible help, the number for you, at gmail.com.

[00:09:44] I'm glad to talk to you about it.

[00:09:46] In the meantime, make it a great day and be blessed.