We all have that one Eeyore in our lives. The one who never has anything good to say, there is never a bright side, nothing ever seems to go right for them. That must be an exhausting place to live in. But really, we're all capable of slipping into that place. We all get tired and frustrated with circumstances and end up complaining to someone about what has been going on. After a while of complaining, though, we begin to take steps to solve the problem. Most of the time. Sometimes our people get tired of listening to the complaints and have to snap us out of our patterns. Complaining is not a fruit of the spirit, so it should come as no surprise when it begins to drain all of the joy and happiness from our lives. So what are we supposed to do?
How are we supposed to process a situation without talking it out, right? Forget the fact that there is a difference between verbally processing and complaining. We talk things out and we eventually work out a solution. Can we help it if the talking it out part starts to sound a little bit like complaining? Actually, we can. Philippians 2:14 tells us to do everything without grumbling or arguing (NIV). If we back up a few verses, the Bible also tells us that it is God who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose (Philippians 2:13). If God is working, we should trust in the waiting rather than sitting and complaining. There is a great example of how to complain to God in the book of Habakkuk. Who knew there was a proper way to complain?
The book begins with Habakkuk bringing a complaint to God and, even though God answers him, he is not satisfied with the answer that he receives. What does Habakkuk do next? He complains again. This time he states that he will stand at his watch and station himself on the ramparts; he will look to see what God will say to him and what answer he is to give to his complaint (Habakkuk 2:1). He has made himself clear to God and gets a little dramatic in waiting for God's reply. We do that sometimes too, don't we? We get a little dramatic in our approach as we complain to whomever may be listening. "Well I'm going to just put my chair right up here so that I have myself a front row seat to see how this mess is going to fix itself." God replies in kind. You want an answer? "Write this down so that the herald may run with it" (Habakkuk 2:2). Spread the word Habakkuk, the answer is on its way. "Though it linger, it will certainly come and not delay" (Habakkuk 2:3). God reminds Habakkuk that He is in charge and that even though we may want to see an answer now, the answer will come when it is time.
See, when we take our requests to God and then wait and watch for Him to move, He is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine. David continuously poured his heart out to the Lord and often complained to Him. Psalm 142:1-2 says "I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble." We see over and over in David's life how God shows up for him and he states himself in Psalm 27:13-14 that he "remains confident of this: that he will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord".
Don't let yourself be stuck in a place of grumbling and complaining. Because you will get stuck. You may slide backwards a little or even become stagnant for a while, but you definitely will not be moving forward and growing in your faith the way that God intends for you to. Take your complaints to God, and then release them for Him to take care of in a way that only He can.
This weeks podcast episode, Every Day I'm Grumb-l-ing is available now. Listen to Amanda and Kristy discuss complaining and what Amanda has discovered about the proper way to complain and release those things to God.
You can find the Send Help Podcast on any podcast platform or on their website at www.thesendhelppodcast.com
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