Dealing With Complainers in the Church

A couple of posts ago, I wrote Complaining (revised to Don’t Complain to the World). In it, I talked about how complaining before the world can damage the soul and the cause of the kingdom’s invitation to the world. This post deals with the flip side. Constant complaining within the church is also destructive.

More than likely, we all know of a fellow Christian who is somewhat negative in this way. That person tends to regularly point out the faults of others or even themselves. His or her attitude, in words and/or body language, is pessimistic in almost all situations. Such conduct goes against Romans 14: 19. It says our goal is to build up; not tear down others.

So then, this kind of complaining shouldn’t be allowed to continue. It smacks of being sinful. Is that a bit too harsh to say? I don’t think so, of course, and here’s why. In Numbers 11: 1, Israel didn’t have faith and take its problems to the Lord. It constantly complained and found fault with its circumstances in the wilderness. This displeased the Lord to the point of anger. That kind of negative fault-finding and bitterness is no less displeasing to the Lord today.

When it comes to dealing with our constantly complaining brothers and sisters, I think we would do well to first remember that humility is called for. Indeed, they are our brothers and sisters, who like us are striving, yet struggling towards our upward calling. It would help if our attitude respectfully views them as saints who don’t realize the sinful havoc they’re causing. Reach out in the most loving and gentle way to them, advises Galatian 6: 1.

Next, we should pray for wisdom. God will provide it either directly or through our counseling with godly people we trust. Pray for the wisdom and the words to come together, and that the complainer will be receptive and free from interference from the enemy.

Finally, we should follow the biblical guide in Matthew 18: 15-17. It provides a pattern that shows us how to approach and point out to a person, his or her sinful behavior. This must be done, for sinful behavior within the church is not to be ignored (1 Corinthians 5: 6, 7, 12, 13).

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