Maybe I Should Stop Complaining

And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Numbers 11:1

I have a great job, almost perfectly tailored for me. The Urgent Care part of my week satisfies my need to take care of acute illness and injury, while accommodating my short attention span. The addiction and jail medicine parts of my week provide me with purpose and meaning, as I use my life struggles to help those who struggle similarly. Like I said, my job suits me. Still, like most of us who work, I occasionally find myself complaining. No job is perfect. There will always be conflicts and frustrations. And there will be days when I’d rather stay home.

In those times though, I must remind myself of what it was like to be out of work. Back in the disastrous consequences of my addiction, I lost my job, my career was in jeopardy, and I didn’t know if I’d ever be a physician again. Having been out of work for a couple of months, I was finally interviewing for a new job when I promised God that I’d never complain about working again. Imagine now though, if, on a bad day, I looked back fondly at my unemployment. Man, it was nice to be home for months at a time. I wish I could go back there.

That would be absurd, but it’s almost exactly what the Israelites did in today’s passage. God delivered them from Egyptian slavery, but while on the way to the promised land, they grumbled about their diet. Daily, God provided manna – food from heaven – but a diet of manna grew monotonous and so they complained. We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing (Numbers 11:5). God provided, and they should have been grateful, but instead, they whined. Their complaining set them in opposition to God, which is never a good place to be.

I’ve lived in defiance of God and I don’t want to go back there. So, daily, I must recognize when I’m whining and I must put my frustrations into perspective. If I choose, I can easily recall what it was like to be unemployed. If I choose, it’s easy to find something about my job for which to be grateful. God has provided and I must respond appropriately. I may not feel like going to work every day, but still I have tremendous reason to be thankful. So, today, and every day, I will choose not to complain, but rather, to show gratitude for that which God has given me.