Complaining: the most overlooked sin in our lives

“I hate homework. My back hurts. I don’t want to go to practice. This class is hard. My parents are annoying. I don’t wanna go to work,” said almost everyone at some point in their life. We complain all the time without even thinking, but what if we stopped and thought about what we said? 

I know this may not seem like a shock to most of you reading this, but complaining is a sin (Philippians 2:14). Every time we say we don’t like something or wish something didn’t happen, we are essentially admitting that we think we know better than God does.

Based on this definition, I would say complaining is the most common sin and one of the most detrimental for our lives. Putting your faith in God means you trust Him with your whole heart, soul and mind. You believe that without Him you are hopeless and lost forever. Despite this, so many of us still complain daily.

The Bible clearly states in Philippians 2:14 to “do all things without grumbling or complaining.” Our complaints contradict God’s will for our lives, and it affects our relationships and our spiritual growth.

When we trust God, it is not a trust in just the big things in life. It is a trust with everything, including all the small insignificant details that annoy us.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Paul is reminding us to shift our negative mindset off of ourselves and what we think is best and to focus on God's blessings and His plan for our lives.

Actor Denzel Washington said: “You trust the bus without knowing the driver. You trust the plane without seeing the pilot. And you trust the ship without meeting the captain. So why can’t you trust the one who controls the universe?” 

It made me think about how we go through life on auto. However, when something comes up that's annoying or hard, we doubt God’s plan and we complain. While these things may seem trivial, there is a bigger problem rooted behind our complaint, and it is sin. It is a lack of trust in the Lord to guide our path and purpose.

Esther 4:14 says, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

While this passage is talking about Esther and her circumstance, we can see how God placed Esther in a situation that she could have complained and grumbled about, but instead, she trusted that her circumstances were not accidental but providential.