COMPLAINTS OR CHEERFULNESS?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
(Philippians 4:6)

MEDITATION:
Would you agree that
sometimes we complain when we really shouldn’t?
We like for things to be (and remain in) a certain way,
and when they aren’t, we start to grumble and complain.
Too often our complaining overshadows our thankfulness.

Bill was driving across the country with Fred.
At the time, all of Bill’s children were in private schools
and he and his wife were suffering from “mal-tuition”.
He began complaining some to Fred
about the great cost of sending a son to college.

Fred looked at Bill and said,
“I’d give anything in the world if my son would go to college.”
Then Bill thought,
“What an ungrateful spirit I have!”

Bill had completely overlooked the joy of his son’s
desire to go to college, and instead focused on the costs.
He had turned what should have been happiness into misery.

All of us have times in our lives when we discover
that some good things have costs associated with them.
However, if we want to enjoy life more,
then we need to focus on the goodness
rather than any negativity of the costs involved.

Do you ever complain about dirty dishes?
There are lots of folks in third world countries
who would like to have some dirty dishes.

The scripture above encourages us to take our
concerns (big or little) to God, but it also reminds us
to be thankful for His blessings at the same time.
What should we be thankful for?
When we think of how God has blessed us
and our families, we don’t really need a list, do we?

We need to be thankful for ‘all’ things, because…
And we know that in all things God works for the good
of those who love him, who have been called according
to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

ACTION:
Do you find yourself complaining more than you are being thankful?
You may complain about the traffic, or the driving habits of others,
but fail to appreciate that you have an automobile available for travel.
A comedian once said,
“People think that those who drive faster than them are maniacs,
and those who drive slower than them are idiots”.

You may complain about the habits and negativity of others,
(never realizing that your complaining is also negativity),
but fail to be thankful that you can be different.
If we are often complaining and finding fault in others,
we can miss out on being thankful for their good qualities.

It can become a bad habit that defines us as a complainer
and instead of drawing others toward us, we push them away
because, after all, who enjoys being around a complainer
(unless they are also a complainer)?
In addition, others can become skeptical of what we
might say to others about them when they are not around.

When complaining remains unchecked, it continues to grow and
causes us to miss out on the joys of life (including God’s blessings).
Doesn’t it seem hypocritical to say we are
thankful for God and His blessings, but yet
we frequently look for the faults in others
(the ones whom He created)?

The following scriptures encourage us to become the opposite of complainers.
A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
but heartache crushes the spirit. (Proverbs 15:13)

All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. (Proverbs 15:15)

When we choose cheerfulness over criticism, our life
becomes a better witness of the presence of Christ living in us.
If the lost souls see criticism and complaining in us,
why in the world would they ever want to become a believer?

Conversely, if they see a cheerfulness and positivity in us,
more than likely they would feel they are missing out on
something, and would develop a curiosity about how
worshipping and following the Lord could favorably impact their life.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for not being thankful for
how You bless me in so many ways. Forgive me for allowing
my complaining and criticism to present a poor image of
what it means to be a believer in Your Son. Help me in
my efforts to turn complaints into cheerfulness so others
will be more interested in surrendering their lives to You.
Thank You for all Your blessings and for listening to my
prayers and petitions. You are the God who cares!”