I’ve been commanded not to do this in James.
I’ve read it before but it’s one of those things I rarely obey.
Maybe because I haven’t thought it through, maybe because I’m lazy. I mean, it’s common sense… it makes sense to me. I wouldn’t want my employees to do it towards me, or their peers. It’s divisive at the core, silently sowing contempt and evil in the heart. Instead of bringing unity and compassion, this further divides us, driving a wedge where we should be strapping stuff together.
This word is also translated as: groan, sigh, with grief, grudge.
In James 5:9 we see him instructing the believers not to grumble against one another. This isn’t a light hearted suggestion; this is a command. One of about 50 that are in this book. Check it out:
| Jam 5:9 | Don’t grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you. For look! The great Judge is coming. He is standing at the door! |
After studying though this, my brain now correlates this “grumbling” together with “complaining” and “judging” introspectively toward other believers. This is a silent groan, one just for myself. It’s not “murmuring”. I’ve heard a couple messages on that. Like, when the crowd murmurred against Jesus. Right? A soft voice, you can hear the hmmm of the crowd. The buzz when people don’t agree. What happens when a teacher announces a surprise test? Murmuring. What happens when they announce a delayed flight at the airport? Murmuring. This isn’t talking about “Don’t murmur against each other believers.” This is saying don’t “grumble” against each other. It’s saying, don’t groan inwardly about other believers. Up until yesterday I thought it was murmuring, just had assumed. You know what they say about assumptions.
Ouch!!!
I’m a very opinionated person. I really am. You can ask almost anybody that knows me and they’ll all be honest about how rude I am. Now, I like to think I’m much better these days about keeping that rudeness to myself, but it’s still there a lot of time. I try hard not to let it show it’s ugly face.
Inward Groaning~Sighing~Grudging~Complaining… Bellyaching!!! that’s it, and that word sounds better than saying “inward groaning”.
How many times have you been sitting under a pastor’s teaching and marked down things you would have done or said differently at the same moment you were judging them? Bellyaching to yourself about how much better you would have been…
How many times have you “inwardly groaned” when you heard a fellow believer talking about evangelism? Bellyaching to yourself about how annoying this person sounds, or how immature, or how young in the faith…
How many times have you thought “with grief” about another believer regarding their speech, dress, beliefs, sins, shortcomings? Bellyaching to yourself about yet another inadequate person…
How many times have you begrudged another believer for their lack of service, failure to tithe or shortage of fruit? Bellyaching to yourself about how nobody works as hard as you do…
I can’t think of a day I haven’t, well, since at least since I started calling myself a Christian.
God is good, take this one to heart as I try to, and remember; don’t grumble against your fellow believers!
They are the soldiers that are guarding your back on the front lines, the ones bringing ammo and medical attention, the ones that will give your unit direction, and maybe the ones that will carry your body off the field.
We’re in this fight together, and we better recognize this fact. A house divided falls.
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