Let’s start with a really hard question. Do you like grumblers?
Of course, no one does. In fact, one of the shortest books of the Bible made room to criticize the grumblers and mumblers among us. Jude criticized “grumblers and faultfinders” (verse 16).
Joni Eareckson Tada knows more about suffering than just about anyone else on the planet. She wrote a powerful article, “Worse than Any Affliction,” in which she asserts that grumbling is among the most destructive sins.
So what’s wrong with grumbling? Just two things: (1) it brings you down, and (2) it brings others down. There is no upside to grumbling.
Grumbling is the opposite of faith. John Piper nailed it: “Do all things without grumbling. Why? You have a sovereign God who is on your side, who works everything together for your good.”
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
