In Numbers, chapter 11, we see a story of the children of Israel complaining about God only providing “manna” for them to eat. The truth is that it all started with a group described in scripture as “rabble” or a “mixed multitude”. These were those who were part Egyptian and Israeli who decided to leave Egypt with the children of Israel during their departure from slavery. Verse 4 reads, “The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!”. Do you see what’s happening here? Complaining became contagious; it spread from one group to another.

There is a major problem when complaining starts to spread, whether in the workplace or in any organization or group of people.

It can become a habit and can be a pattern of thinking and a behavior that can quickly divide people. It is toxic to any workplace or organization including the church.

The Apostle Paul warns how quickly something like complaining can spread so easily. In Galatians 5:9, he states, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” We can also see an example of this in the phrase, “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch.”

Life is full of choices. We can choose each day that we will not be a complainer. We can also pray to the Lord that He will fill us with His Spirit with the result being that, instead of complaining, we will be full of joy and gratitude.