Can I Vent?!

Let me begin by saying that the title may have more appeal than the article. In Bible times, they did not use the word vent. They used complaint or grumble. Are we as children of God allowed to vent or complain in any way? What happened to those who complained in the Bible? Let’s look at some accounts and find out.      

“I loathe my life. I will give free utterance to my complaint. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul” (Job 10:1). 

The Psalmist asks the Lord,”Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do hide yourself in times of trouble” (Psalm 10:1)?  

The psalmist is pleading the cause of the poor and innocent against the wicked who plunders and murders them. The writer desires justice, but the Lord seems to be nowhere around to take vengeance against the wicked. This is a legitimate complaint. The writer is complaining to God; the only one who can bring deliverance. Notice the psalmist is not accusing God of any wrongdoing. 

Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child, to the land that you swore to give their fathers?  

Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness” (Numbers 11:10-15). 

Notice when Moses complained to the Lord regarding the burden of the people, God did not rebuke him. Rather, he told Moses what he needed to do; get capable men to assist him regarding all the matters of the people so that he does not have to bear the burden of the people alone (Numbers 11:16-17). Notice also Moses had enough fear of God not charge Him with wrongdoing. He simply was frustrated as to why he was being burdened with all of the nation’s problems. 

“Do not grumble against one another brothers so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:9-11). 

 

We need to examine Job for a moment. In the first and second chapters of Job everything that could go wrong in a man’s life happened to Job; he lost his business, his children were killed, and his health deteriorated to the point of death. Even his wife turned against him and said, “Do you still hold on to your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2:9-11).  

Even his so-called friends provided bad counsel. Job called them “Worthless Physicians” (Job 13:4). 

How did Job complain? 

Job was devasted by the drastic turn of events in his life. Anybody in his state of extreme grief would be upset and have something to say to perhaps anyone who would listen. Let’s face it, we all complain over far less than what Job experienced. Job first cursed the day of his birth. He regretted it (Job 3). Job was convinced that God was punishing him. What frustrated Job is that he wanted specific answers from the Lord regarding his suffering, but the Lord never provided them. Several chapters Job declares his innocence (chapters 7,9-10, et al). God over a period of four chapters, 38-41 rebukes Job for his ignorance and presumption and challenges Job’s knowledge of the origins of the universe and the behaviors of the animal world along with the wonders of the stellar heavens. 

Once God gets done with Job, his reply to God is, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak. I will question you, and you make it known to me. I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye has seen you; therefore, I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:2-6). 

In the end Job realized he put the cart before the horse with God; he assumed he knew why he was suffering; that it was God who was afflicting him. What frustrated Job is that he felt his suffering was not justified for he was a righteous man. Job knew he was not sinless, but he also knew he feared God so to him the suffering was unfair.    

What should we learn from this? There is nothing wrong with complaining to God. It is sin to complain about God. Remember what Adam did when God confronted him about eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, “The woman whom you gave to be with me gave me the fruit and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12). Adam ignored his sin of disobedience and had the audacity to accuse God; “it was the woman you gave to be with me...”Adam blamed God and Eve for his sin. We are never to question God in an accusatory way; meaning we are to never to complain to him as if He has done wrong to us. Just like Job there are things that we have no knowledge of. These are the times we are to trust God; sure, we can question why we are suffering, but we must approach the Lord with reverence, worship and if need be, tears of distress with humility as we vent to Him. 

 

Here is the attitude we must exhibit when we approach the Lord, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God, And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). 

Paul continues by saying, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything of praise, think about these things (emphasis added). What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).