Do all things without grumbling or disputing, Philippians 2:14 (ESV)
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 1Timothy 2:8 (ESV)
Most of us pray and ask God to bless us with a mate/marriage, children, healthy family/friends, good jobs, a house/car, financial security, etc. And when God hears and answers our prayers, a lot of us go down the road of life where we complain about the very same people and situations that we prayed to have!!
What we at times fail to realize, is that complaining sows seeds of dissension in our hearts that can spill over to our loved ones, our community, our work, our church, and so on. It causes us to pull away from God and His message, as well as from others. It does not bring togetherness and commitment but, creates division in all areas of our lives.
For myself and others, we need to get rid of any complaining and bemoaning that exists in our lives. From time to time when we’re down, we all will have that momentary feeling of not being happy about our current situation. During those times it is inevitable most of us will complain and if so, this would be considered normal human behavior. But excessive/constant complaining is not normal, does not help, and is not a cure for any of life’s downturns.
God calls for us to have the opposite attitude. To have the attitude of praising God despite our current circumstances. And when we seek to praise during this time, it does not mean we necessarily feel like lifting praises to God but, we make a choice to do so anyway. In addition to lifting praises to God, we also seek to lift and encourage others as well. Instead of complaining, we should seek opportunities to share our faith and, to let others know God is moving and working out our life situations. May we remind ourselves, as well as others, that God is not a magic genie with a magic wand who will make things go the way we want. God wants us to trust Him and be active participants in living our lives, according to His word. And once we have done everything we can do with our situations, then just stand and allow God to work all to His glory and benefit.
As we go forward in life, we will complain about one thing or another. But the difference should be, not to live and operate in that mindset of constant complaining. We must not allow the object of our prayers, to become the source of our complaints. May we strive to rise above and do what we can with the situation but, ultimately we let go and give it all to God. We decide to follow Him and His teachings, and allow Him to work it out while keeping us close to Him throughout the process.
Blessings,
Angélique
To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com
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