Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
Acts 16:25
Complaining is a natural response to something that we don’t agree with in our lives. We have all experienced bad times and or been put into situations where it’s very understandable that we would complain about our circumstance. Unfortunately it is a dangerous thing to do and it is the ungodly thing to do. I hate to think of all the times I have complained about something in my life or about a circumstance I was in. What’s worse is I hate to think of the people around me who heard every word of my complaints or even worse were the recipient of my complaints. This verse opened my eyes to the importance of praising God during a storm in my life.
When bad times arise we are given the opportunity to praise God and proclaim to the people watching, Who we serve! When we complain about an issue or join in on the grumblings of dire situations we just blend in with the world. Complaining invites sin into our lives. It can build anger within and show the people around us that we don’t trust God with our situation.
Let me back up a bit with this story. Paul and Silas, for several days, were being followed by a demon possessed woman who continuously shouted at them, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” Well, I have been with my children and for just minutes after hearing them shout the same thing over and over I have reached my limit. So I am very impressed that they made it as long as they did. But finally, Paul had gotten so exasperated that he turned around and spoke to the demon within her, “ I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her”. And instantly it left her. (Acts 6:18)
You may be asking what’s the harm in saving her from the demon? Well, she was a fortune teller and her master’s hopes of wealth and fortune had been shattered so he got mad and complained and it led to their arrest. Now picture these men in prison. They weren’t just put in a police car and driven there to stay the night in a semi soft bed. They were severely beaten, their feet were put into stocks and they were thrown into the dark, damp inner dungeon. They were treated like the worst of criminals, for doing nothing wrong.
If anyone had a reason to complain it was Paul and Silas! Instead, they offered up praises to their God in Heaven and the prisoners around them all heard. Then there was an earthquake and all the prisoners chains fell off but none of them ran away. Can you imagine the power in the prison that night? All the prisoners had the perfect chance to run away and be free but instead they were captured by the prayers and songs that Paul and Silas were offering up to their God, our God. They must have felt safe and free just being close to the power of the Holy Spirit that filled that room. Yes, by the end of night even the jailer and his family accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Had Paul and Silas complained and argued the whole time they were in that jail things would have turned out very differently. There may have been a riot, or death could have occurred, but one thing I know for sure is those prisoners wouldn’t have heard the Word of God and believed it.
We have the same responsibility to share God’s word as Paul and Silas and we are expected to take every chance we get. So next time you want to complain about something bad in your life think of these two men who gave their sufferings and complaints to God through prayer and praise. Think of these men who brought sinners to Christ knowing they would make a better impact praising God during their hard time than just fitting in with all the other prisoners and complaining.
** In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that on-one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them.
Philippians 2:14-15
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