Trials and troubles drive us back to DEPENDENCE upon Jesus and His Grace. Grace is what God
does FOR us. If we get out of His way, Jesus will live His life THROUGH and FOR us. That’s when
we can say with Paul: “For me to live IS Christ.” Therefore, trials and troubles are good things if we
have the MIND of Christ and His perspective.
Pride vs. Humility – Our pride does not want to surrender control to Jesus or anyone for that
matter. When troubles overwhelm our ability to conquer them, we either humble ourselves and ask
for Jesus to do it FOR us…Or else we blame our circumstances, or people, for our lack of ability to
overcome. The word for that is GRIPING and COMPLAINING and God HATES it!!
Philippians 2:14 — Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against
God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves].
Did you notice that complaining is against GOD? Why? When we complain, we are basically telling
God that He does not know what He is doing. What is God’s design and purpose? For us to live in
DEPENDENCE upon Him and in RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. Without Jesus we can do
nothing. Jesus delights in meeting all our needs. But He will never force His provisions upon us. He
waits patiently for us to ask.
What Are We Going to Do About It? If without FAITH it is impossible to please God, how do we
think He feels about our griping and complaining? This is a SERIOUS matter and it is no laughing
matter. Can you imagine Jesus complaining? If Jesus is our very life, should we be
complaining? Okay, then, let’s do something about it, shall we?
THE NO COMPLAINING RULE – “We commit to hold each other accountable for mindless
complaining. We will not tolerate complaining about each other, or about things over which we have
no control such as the weather and arthritis. We encourage one another to bring any issue that might
prompt a complaint to the Manager (God). All complaints must be accompanied by one or two
possible solutions for the complaint.” Here are some NO COMPLAINING TOOLS.
- The BUT Positive Technique. This strategy helps us turn our complaints into positive thoughts,
solutions and actions. Whenever we realize we are complaining, we simply add the word BUT and
then add a positive thought or action. EXAMPLE: I don’t like driving to work for an hour BUT I’m
thankful I can drive and that I have a job.
I don’t like it that I am fat and out of shape. I feel bad. BUT I want to feel better so I am going to the
gym to workout 3 days a week and start eating healthier. Use the complaint to remind you of your
blessings, not what you are lacking. Develop an attitude of gratitude. - Focus on “GET TO” instead of “HAVE TO.” Too often we complain and focus on what we
HAVE TO DO like “I have to go to work.” Let’s shift our perspective by focusing on what we GET TO
DO. We get to go to work while many people are unemployed. We get to drive in rush hour traffic
when many don’t even have a car or are too sick to get out. Focus on feeling BLESSED instead of
STRESSED. We’re too blessed to be stressed. - Turn Complaints into Solutions. Our goal is NOT to eliminate all complaining. Our goal is to
eliminate MINDLESS complaining that doesn’t serve a greater purpose and allow complaining that is
justified and worthwhile. The opposite of MINDLESS complaining is JUSTIFIED complaining. The
former is NEGATIVE while the latter is POSITIVE. With MINDLESS complaining we spend all our
energy focusing on problems.
With JUSTIFIED complaining we identify the problem and focus our energy on a solution. For
example: If our room is too cold, don’t complain about it. Instead, let’s get off our “blessed assurance”
and go turn up the heat. Every complaint represents an opportunity to turn a negative into a
positive. Here are THINGS TO DO INSTEAD OF COMPLAIN: - Practice Gratitude. Research shows that when we count three blessings a day, we get a
measurable boost in both happiness and energy. It is physiologically impossible to be stressed and
thankful at the same time. If we are focusing on gratitude, we can’t be negative. We will also
energize the people around us by letting them know they’re a blessing to us. - Praise Others. Stop complaining about what others are doing wrong and praise them for what
they’re doing right. Praise creates positive energy that is the fuel to launch us toward our destiny. It’s
not the people we believe in who transform our life. It’s the people who believe in us. It’s okay to point
out mistakes if it is constructive, but let’s make sure we give three times as much praise as we do
criticism. - Focus on Success. Start a success journal. Put it beside your bed and before you go to sleep,
write down ONE great thing about your day. A great conversation, accomplishment, eagle sighting,
project completed, etc. Focus on successes and you’ll look forward to creating more. - Let Go. Let go of the things that are beyond your power to change or control. Focus on the things
that you have the power to change. You will be amazed how things work out when you stop trying to
control everything. - Pray and Meditate. Scientific research shows that quietness with time to meditate and pray
greatly reduce stress. It also boosts positive energy and promotes good health, vitality and
longevity. Whenever you are faced with a huge urge to complain and stress out to the max,
STOP. Be still. Whisper His Name…JESUS…Plug into His mind, heart and wisdom. Rest in Him. If
Jesus can’t handle it, then you can stress out. Until then, focus on those things that are TRUE,
HONEST, PURE, LOVELY, JUST and RIGHT. His Peace will flood your soul before you know it.
A 24-HOUR Complaining Fast. For the next 24 hours, completely abstain from mindless
complaining. If the positive energy you create does not bless you, then ask Jesus if it is okay for you
to start complaining again.Let’s create a positive environment. The Lord knows it’s a negativity pit out
there. Be a light in the darkness this week.
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