“Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” – James 5:9

What does it mean to grumble?

• To grumble is to complain, whine, protest, criticize, charge, accuse, murmur. 

• It is also a form of judging another because James connects grumbling with judging, “don’t grumble so that you be not judged.” which he seemed to imply that if we grumble or judge another, we must be prepared to be judged.

What comes out of grumbling is a sour, dissatisfied, discontented attitude. In the case of the people whom James was addressing, there were people who were displeased and discontented with their situation, perhaps triggered by their sufferings, and were envious of those who were well to do.  

Someone wrote that “grumbling is discontentment made audible — the heart’s contempt escaped through the mouth.” 

What caused us to grumble?

The root cause of grumbling or complaining is pride because pride says,

“I don’t deserve to be in this situation, I deserve better.  Why do I have to put up with such inconvenience when I did no wrong? Or why must I put up with this son or daughter, he/she is always so careless and never seemed to learn from past mistakes? Why must I submit to my boss or my husband, he never does his part? Why am I getting such service? I am a paying customer, I deserve better!” 

Why we must not allow a grumbling spirit to take root in our lives?

Firstly, a grumbling spirit stresses our body.  

According to research, complaining is bad for our brain and health. Someone said that “venting floods the bloodstream with cortisol, which is the stress hormone.” Research from Stanford University has also shown that long-term stress can actually shrink the hippocampus — an area of the brain that’s critical to problem-solving and intelligent thought.

Not only that, grumbling like all thought patterns can become a habit and the more we grumble, the easier it gets to be negative about even little things in life. Slowly, we began to see ourselves as a hammer and everyone else as nails to be hammered.  And we wonder why people are avoiding us.

Frankly, how many of us would like to be around people who are always grumbling?  At the end of the day, the problem is still unresolved.  Worst of all, it makes us feel that we deserve something better and gives us more excuses to grumble on. 

Secondly, since grumbling is audible, it could infect others with the same negative attitude and spread discontentment.  That’s what happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness.  When they spread discontentment about God to one another, they had to pay a heavy price of 40 more years in the wilderness. 

That’s how toxic grumblings are. It spreads like the COVID virus. which was why James warned us not to grumble against one another so that we may not be judged; for “behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” 

As said earlier, when we grumble, we are making public judgments of a matter or people. If our judgments are wrong, are we prepared to be judged by the ultimate Judge who always stands at the door of our conversation and hears our complaints?

Finally, grumbling is detestable to God.   Why? Because when we grumble, we are saying, “I am entitled to better things, better circumstances, a better husband, a better wife, better children, better bosses, better leaders, better government. I deserve better!”  That’s what the children of Israel said to God when they grumble, “Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”  

At the heart of grumbling are unbelief or distrust – unbelief in God’s sovereign providence, His love, and goodness towards us. That was what God said of the Israelites, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?”  So when we complain and grumble, we are saying to God, “Lord, I don’t believe you are in charge, I don’t believe you care.”  Hence, God hates the grumbling spirit because it is an assault on His character.   

Bros and sis, if there is a scale to measure our grumbling spirit, where do we think we are at today (1 to 10)? 

Parents, how many times you have grumbled at your children this week? I am sure you have your reasons for doing that, that you do not take pleasure in doing so. But the question is, as Christian parents, is grumbling the way of the Spirit or of the flesh? 

Husbands and wives, how often do you grumble at each other for failing to meet your expectation? What kind of atmosphere do you create in your home? Is it one of thanksgiving or constant negative grumbling? 

Those of us who are working, how often do we grumble against our bosses to our co-workers? Yes, work is tough, sometimes we really need to let it off our chest.  But what James said, “behold our judge is standing at the door.” Listening to our side talks.  

But then is there no place for venting in this life? Work can be frustrating at times, people can be difficult to deal with and work with.  Certainly, there should be a place for grumbling to make us feel better, isn’t it? 

Well, the word of God condemns grumbling.  But at the same time, the word of God encourages us to lament if we really need to unload our hearts.  Bring our frustrations and care to God instead.   And learn to regularly give thanks for all things, especially for things which we already have – jobs, family, church, peace, and order.  Very soon, we’ll kill the desire to grumble on.  

Dear brethren, let us be resolved not to let the grumbling spirit take root.  Apostle Paul commands us in Phil 2:14-15,  “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that we may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom we  shine as lights in the world,”

Finally, allow me to end with the following quotes,

Grumbling is the way of the flesh. The way of fear. The way of our sinful nature. The way of darkness.

Gratitude, meanwhile, is the way of the Spirit. The way of trust. The way of our new nature. The way of light.

May God help us.

Paul Phua