Complaining probably isn't all that helpful.

The people of Israel, the ones who God had saved from slavery, were kind of a bunch of divas. They found ways to complain about lots of stuff, even when God had done so much for them.

God said to Moses, "How long will these people despise me? How long will not believe me, in spite of all the signs I have done among them?..."

The Lord was quite upset, and understandably so. He had freed the people from slavery and was ushering them into a kingdom of greatness, yet they still found things to complain about. They complained so much and so often that they began to wish they were back in slavery just for the good food they were given there. They ignored the greatness of being with God and found themselves complaining about small things in the presence of a big God.

These days, the people of God still complain all the time. I complain too much. I always have.

When I was a kid, my mom would take me to the store to go shopping and I would be a little punk lots of the time. I was rude, demanding, and mean. All this while my mom was buying food to keep me alive, food I would enjoy after demanding my mom cook me dinner!! What a punk I was. In fact, sometimes the only way I would be a nice kid is when I'd demand a candy bar.

I would say, more or less, "Mom, the only way I'll be good is if you give me a candy bar! I want a Snickers!!" and then I would be good. (Usually, my mom wouldn't oblige. Good strategy, mom.)

In my little state of evil, I would ignore the fact that my mom loved me and was doing so much for me just because I wasn't allowed to run around and run the lives of everyone I knew. I disregarded the fact that my mom was a loving mother who would do anything for me and who wanted the best for me. She's a champion.

We today complain all the time, sometimes about the littlest things that don't matter, and we forget to honor both the people around us and the God who loves us so much.

This week, find ways to thank the people in your life who deserve thanks. Honor them in a unique way that glorifies them. After that, find a way to say thanks to our God, whose presence never leaves us. He is our King, and these people who love us deserve our love.