Misguided Grumblings

James 5:9-11 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

Here, once again, James warns us against judging one another. It is often in the midst of suffering that we can become the judge of someone else's life. We compare our suffering to the seemingly lack of suffering in another Christian's life, and the assumption becomes, "They must not be living for the Lord the way that they should, because they never seem to suffer persecution." We pass judgment on them, not realizing that maybe they are suffering; but instead of murmuring and complaining, they have chosen to trust God, and are enjoying the peace of God that passes all understanding. This is merely one example of how we can falsely judge one another in the midst of our own suffering. James encourages us instead to remember, and trust, that Jesus will return soon to judge those who deserve His judgment. It is best that we not, by our groanings, place ourselves in the same position as those who will have to give an answer for making themselves the judge of another. The Word of God gives us plenty of examples of men who suffered and endured patiently, as prophets of God, even though they did not live to see the prophecies they spoke come to fruition. James also reminds us that we have a wonderful example of God's pity and mercy, toward His people, in the life of Job. The man suffered for his righteousness because God was proving a point to Satan. In the end, after all his suffering, God gave him a double portion of what he lost. The bottom line is that we never truly know why God will allow certain difficult circumstances, or instances of persecution, for some and not for others. What we do know is that God is merciful and good, and has called us to endure patiently during difficult times. We must resist the temptation of causing suffering in someone else's life by our misguided groanings and grumblings that come as a result of a warped sense of judgment about why we are suffering, while they (our fellow brother/sister) seem not to suffer as much, or at all. It is always best to keep our misguided grumblings to ourselves, and lift them up to God.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).