Should Christians complain?

     Christianity has been characterized from radical to pacifying.  People have laid own their lives without so much as a word about their deaths.  Others have fought bitter battles in order to "defend" the faith.  Jesus himself was an aggressive pacifist.  Doesn't that bring up images!  From making wine from water to healing people he shouldn't have touched or come close to he challenged the way people thought.  His "turn the other cheek" and "give them your coat too" moments were focused around his throwing the money changers out of the temple.  Though he went to the Cross for you and I he also took aim at the religious authorities calling them a "brood of vipers."  Jesus is the one who laid down his life for you and I and at the same time lets us have our choices whether they glorify him or not.  While our range of complaints exist they really don't mean much in light of what Jesus showed us about acting like we love God.  He told us to take care of the fatherless and the widow and to kick the sinner out of fellowship if they were unrepentant.  See what I mean about the aggressive pacifist?!
     The question, "Should Christians complain?" is a valid one.  They should and again they shouldn't.  Confusing?  It certainly can be.  Let's look at some guidelines in the Word.  James (half brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem) writes "You ask and you have not because you ask with wrong motives."  Motives are those parts of us that really reflect whether we belong to Jesus or not.  If our motives are selfish we are not reflecting Jesus; we are reflecting ourselves.  If our motives are unselfish we are reflecting Jesus and not ourselves.  If we are worldly centered we are the former and if we are heavenly minded we are the latter.  The line drawn between the two is not well defined.  Yes, I can pray for healing for so and so.  No, I can't demand how that healing takes place.  Yes, I can pray for a new car.  No, I can't demand a new Lincoln.  Yes, I can pray for money to buy gas to get myself to work.  No, I can't ask for more than I need.  You get the point.  When we die, we will take none of this world with us.  Leaving us to really wonder about why we are asking for what we are asking for.  James again says, "you ask so that you can consume that which you receive for yourselves."  Motive. 
     Once again there were terrorist attacks and many lives were lost with many more left injured and the world traumatized.  Should we complain?  Once again, this year there will be 1.5 million abortions (babies killed) in the United States alone.  Should we complain?  There will be thousands who die from starvation in many different countries while the powers that be keep the supplies from those who need it most.  Should we complain?  Today there will be wars and rumors of wars, people will be murdered, atrocities committed.  Should we complain?  Social injustice is around every corner and yet Christians seem incapable of changing the situation.  Why is that?  Maybe we have the wrong point of view.  It's not everyone else's problem.  It is mine.  It's not everyone else's relative, friend or enemy.  It is mine.  It's not my right to complain.  It is commanded by God that I do.  God tells us to approach the throne of God with our whole heart.  That includes our wants and needs.  The throne of God is meant to be a place where we take these complaints and place them for God to take care of in the manner he sees fit.  Not mine.  The problem is we place everything on the throne and then take it back when we finish praying...if we placed it there in the first place.  Yes, Christians should complain.
     No, Christians shouldn't complain.  Time and the future are unveiling themselves according to God's plan and not ours.  There will not be peace in this world.  There will not be unselfishness or generosity in this world.  There will never be co-existence in this world.  AND there should not be!  We, as Christians, are called OUT OF THE WORLD and told to NOT BE OF THE WORLD but to be IN THE WORLD as Christ's representatives.  Not our own representative.  With the fracturing of the Christian community brought about by Satan through the establishment of denominations and such, the chances of unified belief is gone.  When we are more concerned about how we believe versus how we are supposed to believe we are the problem and not the solution.  It doesn't matter whether you speak in tongues or not.  It doesn't matter if you are sprinkled or dunked.  It doesn't matter if you have the gift of prophecy or healing or teaching or...  It doesn't matter.  What matters are the complaints of the innocents who cry for us, the Christians, to love them as God does.  We are so blessed and we take it for granted. 
     So, should Christians complain?  It's your choice.  Give that choice to God and do what eh asks you to do, say what he asks you to say, and think what he asks you to think.  That way when we do complain, the complaint will be from the heart of God and not the heart of man.