No one in their right mind really wants to fail at life.

I don’t suppose they do. But multitudes have adopted a strategy that leads to failure.

What is that? They continuously complain.

Complaining is not a strategy.

That one-sentence statement is pregnant with regret.

It came to me shortly after I read this first verse of Numbers 11. “Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused.”

The conclusion is crystal clear. God is displeased when His people become consumed with complaining.

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Why? Complaining demonstrates a lack of gratitude. An unthankful heart is a distraction. This bad habit leads to finding others to lament the obvious.

Why? Complaining is actually beneath God’s people. We are walking, talking miracles of ingenuity and creativity. We have the Spirit of the living God residing within us.

We literally have the power to make life better for ourselves and those around us. But complaining makes nothing better. It only makes things feel worse than they are in reality.

Complaining is draining. Those who give in to this south-bent attitude will whine, moan, and groan as though nothing will ever change, and it won’t.

Nothing will ever change. Until you do.

How about you take your place before God’s throne of grace with some faith-filled prayers? What if you changed your approach to life and started doing things God’s way?

What if you started every day with a few minutes of thinking about how blessed you are? Thank God for His kindness?

What if pastors, preachers, and ministry leaders led this charge? How about instead of useless laments about our culture, we began to lead some positive changes?

Let’s stop bemoaning contemporary Christians’ lack of holiness and personal convictions and focus that energy on making disciples? The changes we seek can only be born out of biblical discipleship and not our raging complaints.

Berating, browbeating, and other forms of mean-spirited communication will never bring about the changes our churches need. We need a resurgence among God’s people that’s led by God-called change agents.

So why don’t you try a different strategy? Don’t allow yourself to stay in bondage to the traditions of dead saints. Date a new method and use it as a one-sided relationship. Use that relationship to declare the never-changing message that Jesus saves, sanctifies, and sets free those who sit in bondage.

But you’ll have to get yourself freed up first. In Jesus’ name and authority, I proclaim your liberty from useless complaining. You have permission to try something different.

The people that know their God shall be strong and take action (see Daniel 11:32b).

The devil doesn’t need to destroy those whom he can easily distract. The longer you are distracted, the more ineffective you become.

The number one way to fail in life is to be swallowed up with continuous complaining. Or, you could repent and live in the joy that Christ gave you.