KEEP SERVING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER - Keep Free FroM Murmuringt

Keep Free From Murmuring

In order to maintain our unity and continue to have divine favor, we must heed Paul's counsel:  "Keep doing all things free from murmurings."  (Philippians 2:14, 15) The faithless Israelites freed from Egyptian bondage murmured against Moses and Aaron and thus even Jehovah God.  Because of this, all the men 20 years old and upward, except faithful Joshua and Caleb and the Levites, did not enter the Promised Land but died during Israel's 40-year trek in the wilderness.  (Numbers 14:2, 3, 26-30; 1 Corinthians 10:10)  What a price they paid for murmuring!

This shows what can happen to an entire murmuring nation.  What about individual murmurers?  Well, Moses' sister, Miriam, along with her brother Aaron, murmured: "Is it just by Moses alone that Jehovah has spoken? Is it not by us also that he has spoken?" The account adds:  "Jehovah was listening."  (Numbers 12:1, 2) The result?  Miriam who evidently took the lead in this complaint, was humiliated by God. How? By being afflicted with leprosy and being compelled to remain outside the camp for seven days until she was cleansed. -Numbers 12:9-15.

Murmuring is not just a complaint about some wrong doing.  Persistent murmurers attach too much  importance to their feelings or position, drawing attention to themselves rather than to God.  If not checked, this causes dissension among spiritual brothers and hinders their efforts to serve Jehovah shoulder to shoulder.  This is so because  murmurers invariably voice their complaints, doubtless hoping that others will sympathize with them.

For instance, someone may criticize the way a certain elder handles his parts in the congregation or cares for his duties.  If we listen to the complainer, we may begin to think as he does.  Until the seed of discontent was planted in our mind, the elders activities may not have troubled us, but they do now.  Eventually, nothing the elder does will be right in our eyes, and we too may being to complain about him.  This kind of conduct is not fitting in a congregation of Jehovah's people.

Next time: Conclusion of Keep Free From Murmuring

The Watchtower, 2002