In the Book of Hebrews Chapter 11, God lists the best of the best men and women of faith from the Old Testament. These people can teach us the wisdom of the ages as we face the problems we have here and now. Moses was a hero of faith yet he found himself amongst two million grumblers as he took the people of Israel out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land. We all have a tendency to grumble. Why? Because we live amongst imperfect people, imperfect circumstances, and problems.

Grumbling is one of the ways we deal with our problems. It gives us a sense of power. It makes us feel like we are doing something about our problems—but we’re not. When faced with a problem, we basically have two choices: 1) we can try to resolve the problem which may require talking to the person, asking God for wisdom and insight, and possibly Christian counseling or 2) we can grumble about it (which is easier) but it doesn’t resolve the problem. In fact, even Moses lost it once. He became so upset with all the grumblers that he let himself get angry, and spouted off—which disqualified him from entering into the Promised Land. It’s a hard lesson but we should learn from his mistake.

When we, like Moses, choose to work with people and have families, problems are inevitable. Now, Moses could’ve lived the life of an elite royal—the Pharaoh’s son, removed from many problems—instead he chose to work with the people of Israel. Moses used his faith to make that decision.

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin…” (Heb. 11:24-24).

Faith is not something ethereal but rather something very practical that can be seen in the choices we make every day. People sometimes question the validity of Christianity and churches by pointing out the flaws of church members, e.g., divorce, infidelity, alcoholism, etc.  But if you think about it, where better to go than church when you have problems? You see, the church is like a hospital where people with problems go to get better.

Unfortunately, when we have problems and need help, we have a tendency to hide and avoid church.  The devil encourages that. He tells us, “You shouldn’t go to church because you have this problem.” Don’t listen to those lies! Church is the best place in the world to go when you’re struggling. New Hope is committed to never be ashamed of anyone that God brings. Many of us have had our own times when we were sick or struggling and God made a difference for us.  What makes the difference when you have a problem is how you choose to respond to that problem so…

1.    STEWARDING THE PROBLEMS THAT GOD ASSIGNS TO US IS ONE OF THE GREATEST TESTS OF OUR FAITH.

Problems are unavoidable. “‘For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come…’” (Matt. 18:7).

The good new is…God is looking for problem solvers. Who will take on the things that are heavy on God’s heart? We don’t have to be perfect before beginning – only Jesus was perfect. Look what God was able to do with Peter (pride) and Saul (a murderer) to build the early church. There was also Gideon (a known coward), and David (lust, murder) who did amazing good things for God. They didn’t look good on the outside but all they needed was someone to step into their lives and encourage them. That’s what God did and He is asking us, “Will you steward these problems instead of just talking and grumbling about them?”

“My friends, do not be surprised at the painful test you are suffering, as though something unusual were happening to you. Rather be glad that you are sharing Christ’s sufferings…” (1 Pet. 4:12-13).

Why do we have to have problems, anyway? Can’t we just pray and believe that God will make all of our problems disappear? Actually, no. In fact, when you come to Christ, all of your recessed “stuff” seems to rise to the surface.  It could be infidelity, temptation, lack of integrity, grumbling, anger, or taking vengeance.  Those things are often deep within us, in seed form, and all it takes is for something to happen and that stuff will grow and rise to the surface.

What God is saying is, “The problem is not the problem. I’m just using this problem to bring out those things inside of you that need to change. Together, we are going to work to make you more like Me.”  It is possible to avoid working on issues and manipulating your way around it, but when you do that, the issue just goes back underground.  On the other hand, if you ask God for wisdom and insight and you work through the issue, the issue will be resolve, not just buried.  The end result is…you’ll be stronger.

Think of it this way, when weightlifters work out a lot, they lift heavier and heavier weights.  Is it because the weights they are lifting become lighter?  Yes and no.  The weights don’t actually get lighter but they do seem lighter because the weightlifter gets stronger. It’s the same way with problems and our faith.  As we grow in the Lord and work our way through issues with the Lord’s help, subsequent problems to don’t seem as difficult. The burdens and trials of life don’t feel as heavy as your faith grows. When building faith…

·        GRUMBLING IS NOT AN OPTION!

Grumbling does not change a thing. There is a spiritual principle: What you look for is what you will find. The Bible says…

“If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you!” (Prov. 11:27)

So the message here is that if I look for evil, then evil will find me. Just as blood is to a shark, grumbling is to the devil. He can smell it. He loves it. And it is an invitation for demonic intrusion.  You’ve basically said, “Okay devil, c’mon in!”

Particularly when it comes to your marriage and family, the best thing you can do is never grumble. Explore other options. Resolve things by learning to appeal and pray. Remember that nothing good can ever come out of grumbling because it opens the door to the devil.

“[Don’t] grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:10).

The devil has one goal in mind, and that is to destroy your future. Let’s avoid making it easy for him. 

·        INSTEAD, USE WISDOM.

The opposite of grumbling is asking God for wisdom. Here’s the thing…getting angry, blaming, grumbling, rationalizing and defending yourself is a really rough road. People may avoid you and your temper; it can get pretty lonely. Then to top it off, grumblers are never known as people of wisdom. Instead, look at your problems biblically. You can think of it as a challenge to try to resolve problems in the wisest way possible.

“Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, and so is wisdom to a man of understanding” (Prov. 10:23).

On one side, fools love their wickedness; it’s like a sport to them. On the other side though, there are people of understanding who see wisdom like a sport, and they excel at it. Remember that heaven is watching so when problems arise, ask yourself, “What is the wisest way that I could ever resolve this problem?” In fact, ask God! 

Wisdom is like a diamond…the only way to get it is through extreme pressure.  Those are the times to cry out to God and He will give us wisdom. The Bible says in James, “If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men generously, and will never hold it back from you.”

And one of the best places to get wisdom is through…

·         DAILY DEVOTIONS

Read and see how Gideon, Paul, David and Solomon (among many others) resolved problems. You’ll catch wisdom so that when you have a problem, you’ll be prepared to deal with it. You’ll have been trained and the problem will not seem so heavy. You’ll still have to lift it but you will be ready. It’s never too late to start doing daily devotions. Just begin and watch wisdom increase.

“Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. And if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives generously” (James 1:2-5).

With each problem, we have the option to either resolve it or grumble about it. Furthermore, when working with people…

2.    LEARN TO APPEAL BEFORE COMING TO CONCLUSIONS.

In other words, reason with the other person. Learn to how to appeal to them. 

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

It is important to remember though, before you appeal to someone or try to reason with them, make sure your heart is pure—without ulterior motives. You’ll need to forgive before you approach them. Only then is your heart pure. Your role is not to change another’s heart. That is God’s role. But the Bible tells us, “…as far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18). In other words, if you approach someone but they can slam their door on you, you should keep your door open to them nonetheless. Not only will this make you available to them when they are ready, this will also keep your heart free from vengeance and bitterness.

Sometimes, though, we do get really upset. I’m not asking you to deny that. We are human after all. In that case, the wisest thing to do is…

3.    FIND A GODLY LIGHTNING ROD.

Find someone (preferably the same sex) who you can talk to and process stuff with (they listen, don’t take sides, and keep it to themselves).

“A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24).

We need people with whom we can vent, who have agreed to be a lightning rod for us to help us sift the good from the bad. We have to keep our heart open to someone who can speak into our life when it’s necessary otherwise we have a tendency to burn out our loved ones with all of our frustrations. Some spouses can serve as lightning rods but some cannot because they are so sensitive that it fries them.  They tend to shoulder our burdens and suffer too much. Be careful there. Find somebody neutral that loves God, loves you, is committed to God’s best for your future – and is biblical and can speak into your life. We all need this regardless of how long we have been going to church. This is an important part of moving away from grumbling and into wisdom.

Indeed, the Lord will watch as you become a hero of legendary faith. Amen? Amen.

Stewarding our problems well is one of the greatest tests of our faith.  When we learn not to grumble, but instead, use wisdom and rely on what we learn from daily devotions to appeal before coming to conclusions, our faith grows and we start to see God’s miracles.  And when things are hard, don’t shy away from Church but rather, draw near and find yourself a Godly lightning rod who can help keep you grounded in God’s best so you too can be a hero of legendary faith. Amen? Amen.

Discussion Questions

1.      What, if anything, is keeping you from doing daily devotions? (Remember, don’t grumble.) How can you get started?  (Remember, use wisdom.)  Even if you find it difficult to understand, take time to prayerfully ask God to reveal what the scripture is saying to you and write for just five minutes on that.

2.      Think of an example where you chose to look for the good in a situation even though, at first glance, there did not seem to be any. Were you able to find goodness and what form did it take?

3.      Are you a grumbler (silent or otherwise)? If so, what fruit do you think you’re bearing as a result? How does this affect your ability to problem solve?

4.      What is insight? Does it come automatically or over time? Why do you believe this?

5.      Jesus said, “…it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12.32).  How does wisdom fit into this statement? Or, what part does wisdom play in the kingdom of God?

Thank you very much to Robin Hart, volunteer writer for the Sermon Notes ministry whom is faithfully using her talents to further God’s kingdom and share His grace.