James 5:9

Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.  Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

~James 5:9

Quick review for just a moment.  In James 4:11,12 we saw that we are not to judge others because by doing so we are judging, not humans, but the law.  That only God can judge others.  Before those verses we were told to be humble.  After those versus we were told to not plan out glorious lives or to boast as that is a sin just like judging.  Then in James 5, so far we have seen that God will judge those who have been oppressive to others.  That our job is simply to be patient and to trust God.

Now we have a new verse to add to that.  Don't grumble.  Specifically don't grumble about another person.  This is a form of judging people.

So an example that might help bring this one home is sort of like the following.  Before I tell you this story, I'll reassure you that it is about my own life and therefore I am the one that was at fault.

One summer, my church decided to have a social for the 4th of July.  I think it was either the weekend before or the night before.  The whole community was invited.  Our small church got everyone involved in this outreach project.  Building community with the community is outreach by the way.  I was asked to sing a patriotic song for the occasion.  Terrified me ran to my mother and she took pity on me so agreed to sing with me so I wouldn't be up there alone.  Knowing how easy it is for my voice to go offtune, we practiced and practiced that song until we were solid all the way through.  I was actually eager to perform up front. 

Then the day came.  We arrived and the person coordinating the music asked me what song we were going to do.  When I told her, she said a fellow from the community was going to do that song and to please pick another.  I tried to explain I hadn't practiced but she was insistent I could sing any song I chose.  So mom and I practiced another for about ten minutes and then went outside to wait our turn.  Many people sang and were congratulated afterwards that night.  No one said a word to mother and I.  I didn't blame them.  We had been seriously off tune and I couldn't even hit half the notes in the song since they were so high.

Why do I tell this story?  Because I grumbled and grumbled about the lady who made me change songs.  I was angry that some stranger was given precedence over me.  I was angry that guy never showed.  I was angry at being forced to humiliate myself when I already can't sing well to begin with.  All those reasons might seem like good reasons, but they are not.  I sinned why I grumbled about the things that went wrong in my opinion.  That is what we are asked to not do.