Grumblers

 Shepherds don’t lead by committee. I take no umbrage with a board of elders or deacons to whom the shepherd can delegate some of the labor, but as far as what the sheep are fed, it is the shepherd that must decide, and not of his own volition but in submission and obedience to the Shepherd. If a shepherd had to wait for everything he taught to be vetted and decided on by a committee, the sheep would either starve, or there would be so many differing opinions that it would overwhelm the individual in charge of providing spiritual sustenance.

Even though James specifically warns against grumbling against one another lest we be condemned, there have always been grumblers among God’s people, and they will continue to exist until the Lord returns. They fail to acknowledge the dire warning that the Judge is standing at the door because those who are career grumblers see themselves as the ultimate authority, the ultimate judge, and the one to whom all must bow in deference.

There are various reasons why some descend into grumbling against the brethren, but from purely anecdotal evidence, I’ve concluded that much of the time, it’s because they are dissatisfied with their station or consider their calling inferior to their perceived gifting. They identify as gifted, just as a homeless man identifies as a billionaire, with much the same effect.

God calls. Men answer. Once we answer the call, God will send us where he needs us and imbue us with the gifting necessary to carry out the calling to which we have been called. Some of us have natural inclinations toward the gift God entrusts us with. My mother was always generous, kind to a fault, and ready to help anyone at any time, so her natural inclinations were a perfect fit for the gift of service and hospitality God entrusted her with. My mother died while cooking a meal in her home for visitors who had come to visit Romania. It was who she was. You’d always find her doing something kind, something selfless, something that would bring a smile to the faces of those around her.

Although my wife comes close, I’ve yet to meet anyone who can make a crape like my mother. She must have made tens of thousands throughout her life, and all for those who graced her table and accepted an offer of a hot meal and some fellowship.

When someone insists that they have a calling or a gift but is inconsistent with their character, you know it’s more of a wish than a reality. In His wisdom, God places us in roles, positions, and callings complimentary to our character. In those rare instances where someone is an introvert yet is called upon to preach the Gospel, He gives them the necessary gift and wherewithal to carry out their duty faithfully and with aplomb.

Lest we forget, judgment begins at the house of God. If it starts with us first, then there are those things worthy of judgment among us. If it were not so, then God would have proceeded directly to those who do not obey the gospel, as Peter says.

There are those among us who know Christ and those who know of Christ. There are those among us who are in Christ and those who are near to Christ. Those near to Christ, those who know of Him, will always take issue with those wholly sold out to Him because whether they admit it to themselves or not, deep inside, they know their judgment is near.

One of the surest ways to know that you will fall under God’s judgment when the Judge returns is if you are constantly grumbling against the brethren over personal convictions rather than Biblical truth.

I wear a wedding band—I have been wearing one since the day I was married. It’s not an issue of pride or salvific significance, and I have no quarrel with anyone who chooses not to wear one. It’s a personal choice and eliminates the need to explain that I’m married to anyone dropping hints of this or that.

Wearing a wedding band won’t get me into heaven any faster than not wearing one would, but if I were to start grumbling against those who choose not to wear one, thinking myself spiritually superior for wearing it, I would risk being condemned just as James warned.

Don’t make doctrine out of personal conviction or opinion, then grumble against those who don’t go along with you, no matter how noble your idea might be in your own mind. Be wise enough to allow for cultural differences, for the fact that someone grew up on a different continent with different norms, and be gracious when they show up for evening prayer in a three-piece suit while you’re in flip-flops and shorts. It’s not pride rearing its ugly head because they’re wearing a suit; it’s that they were raised with the idea of showing reverence whenever you come together with the people of God, akin to being in the presence of royalty and having the requisite attire.

Back when I was still traveling with my grandfather, there was an instance where we were scheduled to speak at a church. It was the Sunday morning service, and during worship, everyone stood and clapped and sang, but my grandfather sat through the entire song repertoire. After he was done speaking, having a noticeably difficult time shuffling to the pulpit and leaning heavily on it throughout his talk, an incensed lady came up to us and, speaking directly to him, said, “I can’t receive any of what you said because you didn’t stand up and clap during the worship service.”

When he asked what she’d said, I told him it was nothing worth repeating, and I thanked her for her input as we walked away. What she didn’t know is that I was the one who’d carried my grandfather into the sanctuary before the service because he was having a full-blown gout attack and could barely contain himself from all the pain. She was just looking for a reason not to accept what she’d heard, and she’d found it. She didn’t bother to ask why he hadn’t stood or clapped along, and evidently, she was so myopic that she didn’t put two and two together to figure out that since he needed an interpreter, he likely didn’t know any of the songs in English.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.