{"id":3203,"date":"2017-02-13T10:53:43","date_gmt":"2017-02-13T16:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedisciplemaker.org\/?p=3203"},"modified":"2017-02-13T10:53:43","modified_gmt":"2017-02-13T16:53:43","slug":"grumblers-anonymous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/2017\/02\/grumblers-anonymous\/","title":{"rendered":"Grumbler’s Anonymous"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I\u2019m a charter member. Aren\u2019t you?
\nDon\u2019t you spend a good deal of your time grumbling?
\nI live in Colorado, and oh my goodness: If we go without seeing the sun for twenty-four hours, we are an entire state of grumblers. If I have to wait in line at the grocery store for the self-check-out lane, I grumble. When the golden arches ask me to pull up ahead to wait for my order, I grumble.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, \u201cHe has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.\u201d
\n\u2014Luke 19:6-7,\u00a0ESV<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It seems, from these verses in Luke, I\u2019m part of an age-old tradition. Grumbling was in vogue in the first century. Jesus spies a guy he wants to be with, a smarmy tax collector looking out for him from the advantage of a higher tree limb. Jesus elicits a joyful response from this man, and the entire crowd grumbles. \u201cThat\u2019s a sinner you are going to spend time with!\u201d
\nNow.
\nBefore we get all critical of Jericho\u2019s finest, we must remember that old adage: For every finger pointed at someone else, three point back at us. We grumble when the music is too loud; we grumble when it’s the choir\u2019s turn to lead worship; we grumble if the pastor is long-winded or too short; we grumble when the girl in the front pew is tattooed or the guy is wearing a nose-ring. We essentially are card-carrying grumblers.
\nAnd we should stop. Just stop it!
\nJesus didn\u2019t come to seek out grumblers. He is in search of the lost.<\/strong> Disciples and disciplemakers should heed that instruction.
\nSo let\u2019s give up our membership in that group and join the search and rescue.<\/p>\n

\n

By Don Pape, NavPress publisher.
\nReady to start searching and rescuing? Here are great resources to get started on discipleship:<\/p>\n