Many Christians who have read the words of the apostle Paul “Do everything without complaining” (Philippians 2:14), accept this teaching in the understanding that if we have true faith we do not ever need to complain, but this is not really true. The Bible shows there is a right time and a right way to voice our frustrations and complaints in life (see our article “Go Ahead and Complain!” here).
The Old Testament book of Habakkuk provides a clear example of the kind of complaint that God accepts – and is more than willing to hear – and provides a helpful lesson in faith at the same time. The prophet Habakkuk lived in a difficult time – when many problems plagued ancient Judah and the nation was clearly about to be crushed by the powerful and brutal Babylonian Empire.
This was the time in which Habakkuk respectfully took his complaints to God, asking the age-old questions “Why do you allow bad things to happen to good people?” (Habakkuk 1:1–4; 13) and “Why do you allow good things to happen to bad people” (Habakkuk 1:13–17). In the course of the book, we see that God graciously answers Habakkuk’s complaints and by its end we see the prophet’s faith is greatly strengthened (Habakkuk 3:17–18). But along the way this book gives us valuable lessons regarding times when we feel we have valid complaints we desire to bring before God.
1. Faith can complain! Habakkuk shows us as clearly as any other biblical book that God is willing to listen to our heartfelt complaints (they are specifically called complaints at the end of Habakkuk 2:1), and that they need not go unverbalized, which so often leads to the actual degradation of faith.
2. We should expect God to answer. Habakkuk exclaimed “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me” (2:1). The prophet apparently received a direct verbal answer from God and while that may not be our experience, God is able to lead us to find answers if we faithfully expect them.
3. We must be willing to wait for an answer. We saw in the last point that Habakkuk said he was willing to wait till he received an answer and when it came, God told him “the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3).
4. We need to remember that God expects us to trust him till the answer comes. That is how we express faith in our lives rather than simply refusing to honestly voice our complaints. Habakkuk summarized this truth in saying “the righteous person will live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4 ESV and the majority of translations) – timeless words that are quoted no fewer than three times in the New Testament (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).
5. We need not doubt that it will work out in the end. After Habakkuk verbalized his frustrations and complaints to God – and eventually came to see what he needed to understand – he could confidently accept that when God’s time was right “ the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:4).
6. We can rejoice in God’s wisdom. This is clearly a lesson Habakkuk learned: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,” Habakkuk wrote “yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17–18).
7. We should offer praise with our complaint. A final aspect of right complaining that Habakkuk displays is that he combined praise with his complaints – both as he complained to God (Habakkuk 1:12–13; etc.), as well as when he received the answers for which he was looking (Habakkuk 3:19).
The Bible contains numerous examples of righteous individuals – Moses, Job, David, and many others – who complained to God in a sincere and respectful way, and who found answers to their questions. But the book of Habakkuk is perhaps unique in showing us that taking our complaints to God is not only not a lack of faith, but also it can actually be faith strengthening.
The Old Testament book of Habakkuk provides a clear example of the kind of complaint that God accepts – and is more than willing to hear – and provides a helpful lesson in faith at the same time. The prophet Habakkuk lived in a difficult time – when many problems plagued ancient Judah and the nation was clearly about to be crushed by the powerful and brutal Babylonian Empire.
This was the time in which Habakkuk respectfully took his complaints to God, asking the age-old questions “Why do you allow bad things to happen to good people?” (Habakkuk 1:1–4; 13) and “Why do you allow good things to happen to bad people” (Habakkuk 1:13–17). In the course of the book, we see that God graciously answers Habakkuk’s complaints and by its end we see the prophet’s faith is greatly strengthened (Habakkuk 3:17–18). But along the way this book gives us valuable lessons regarding times when we feel we have valid complaints we desire to bring before God.
1. Faith can complain! Habakkuk shows us as clearly as any other biblical book that God is willing to listen to our heartfelt complaints (they are specifically called complaints at the end of Habakkuk 2:1), and that they need not go unverbalized, which so often leads to the actual degradation of faith.
2. We should expect God to answer. Habakkuk exclaimed “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me” (2:1). The prophet apparently received a direct verbal answer from God and while that may not be our experience, God is able to lead us to find answers if we faithfully expect them.
3. We must be willing to wait for an answer. We saw in the last point that Habakkuk said he was willing to wait till he received an answer and when it came, God told him “the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3).
4. We need to remember that God expects us to trust him till the answer comes. That is how we express faith in our lives rather than simply refusing to honestly voice our complaints. Habakkuk summarized this truth in saying “the righteous person will live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4 ESV and the majority of translations) – timeless words that are quoted no fewer than three times in the New Testament (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).
5. We need not doubt that it will work out in the end. After Habakkuk verbalized his frustrations and complaints to God – and eventually came to see what he needed to understand – he could confidently accept that when God’s time was right “ the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:4).
6. We can rejoice in God’s wisdom. This is clearly a lesson Habakkuk learned: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,” Habakkuk wrote “yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17–18).
7. We should offer praise with our complaint. A final aspect of right complaining that Habakkuk displays is that he combined praise with his complaints – both as he complained to God (Habakkuk 1:12–13; etc.), as well as when he received the answers for which he was looking (Habakkuk 3:19).
The Bible contains numerous examples of righteous individuals – Moses, Job, David, and many others – who complained to God in a sincere and respectful way, and who found answers to their questions. But the book of Habakkuk is perhaps unique in showing us that taking our complaints to God is not only not a lack of faith, but also it can actually be faith strengthening.
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