Thursday, February 5, 2009

Complain!!! (Psalm 64) 050209


I want to complain! I want to complain about the air-conditioning in the church office is too cold! I want to complain about the church not giving me an office room to study and pray; it’s too noisy! I want to complain about the programs we have in church; it’s too many and not family friendly! I want to complain about the MRT being too crowded in the morning; I have to be squeezed in order to get on a train! I want to complain about not able to have my own transport (I am referring to motorbike here)! I want to complain about the cockroaches which still keep coming to my house without my invitation! I want to complain about everything which I didn’t write here. I just want to complain!

I thought only Singaporean is very good at complaining, actually psalmist also likes to complain. This psalm is more likely to be a soliloquy than a prayer to God (commented by Stanley L. Jaki). And such soliloquy is actually a complaint. The psalmist asks God to hear his complaint (v1), and then he lists down a long list of things which he wants to complain. But I think all these things can be summarized as sin of the tongues. The language uses here in this psalm refers tongue as a sword and bitter speech as arrow (v3), and talk of laying snares secretly (v5); it also refers that the words from the mouth are a reflection of one’s heart.

When I list down all my complaints, I know you might think that I am such an ungrateful guy. I am able to work in the comfort of an air-conditioned environment, yet I complain. I am given a spacious working desk of my own, yet I complain. I am in a church which organizes meaningful activities for families, like Adult Bible Fellowship (ABF) and Family Wise Series, yet I complain. I am able to go to work by some form of transport system and don’t need to walk to work, yet I complain. I only have cockroaches coming to my house instead of rats and snakes, yet I complain. But I will still complain about not being able to own a motorbike.

Complaint reflects a person’s heart condition towards God. Actually complaint is not much of a difference from other sins of the tongues mentioned by the psalmist. As I read this psalm, I was thinking that: isn’t this psalmist a pot calling a kettle black or a kettle calling a pot black?

The psalmist is basically spiritualize his sin of the tongue, and calls it a prayer! Beware, when we pray a prayer of complaint, or share our complaints with other people; we are revealing something deep within our heart.

God allows us to complain. He actually uses our complaints to reveal to us our deep secrets of our hearts, so that we can deal with those issues. If you have things to complain to God, go ahead and complain; but do not stop there. Let God also shows you your heart’s condition; why are you so grouchy and full of complaints. Let God deals with those issues as He reveals and brings them out into the light from the darkness of your heart. I think that is why the psalmist concludes his psalm with this:

Then all men will fear,
And will declare the work of God,
And will consider what He has done,
The righteous man will be glad in the LORD, and will take refuge in Him;
And all the upright in heart will glory.
(v9-10; NASB)

Please do not go around telling people about my complaints, lest you also fall into the sin of the tongue (this is called gossiping). I have dealt with them with God already, except about my motorbike!

HHS…
Abel…

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