Four Arguments for the Elimination of Complaining

A good friend- Jay Hellwig- invited me to attend a devotional this morning at the Ziglar corporation. Jay and his wife- Jill- work for motivational speaker- Zig Ziglar. Ziglar has built an outstanding reputation through the years as a salesman, communicator and most importantly devout Christian.

I have read some of his books over the years and listened to a few of his tape series. Having met him today for the first time in person, I came away impressed that he's the real deal. The positive attitude is no facade. He lives a life of gratitude, joy and hope.

Jay and I spoke after the event- as we beat each other up on the basketball court during our lunch basketball game. We discussed the importance of the stewardship of our attitudes. God has entrusted to us eternal hope. Christians are called to aim at perfection- 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)- by becoming excellent stewards of money, abilities, time and health. But we are also called to be good stewards of the hope that is in us. We are to be ready to explain this hope to others- 1 Peter 3:15.

I am by nature cynical and some might say critical. I have to battle these tendencies daily. One of the easiest things in this world is to be negative and live out of fear, jealousy, bitterness and comparison. It is tough work to live by faith, love, joy and contentment. So on the theme of living as if there is a reason for hope, I concoct four arguments for the elimination of complaining:

1. We are commanded in the word of God to avoid complaining. Philippians 2:14 tells us, "Do all things without complaining or arguing (NIV). God knows our nature is to complain. Therefore, He had to command us to avoid this behavior. One of the prayers that I ask God for daily is to eliminate complaining in my vocabulary, thoughts and actions. Some days I do better than others.

I stress this daily with my 2-year old son and have him already reciting Philippians 2:14 to me when he whines. I say, "Hudson what does God want us to do? Do all things without complaining or ______?" He replies, "whining." If we desire to honor God, we will work hard to eliminate complaining from our daily life. Repeat with me: I will not complain because God has commanded that I avoid it.

2. We deserve nothing. The two most destructive words in the English language are "I deserve". If we want to be biblical, we quickly see what we deserve. Paul tells all who reject God's Son, "Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed."- Romans 2:5.

CS Lewis says it well, "God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger--according to the way you react to it. And we have reacted the wrong way."

We deserve death and misery due to our sin. God has been patient and merciful. He has given common mercy to us all- oxygen, water, food, climate stability, etc... He has given specific mercy to all who trust fully in Christ. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."- John 3:36. Repeat with me: I will not complain because I deserve nothing good. Everything good in my life comes from a merciful God who has commanded me to avoid complaining.

3. Many who deal with far greater adversity daily than I do exude daily joy that puts me to shame. I am not belittling the trials that we face. Every one of us has a cross to bear in this life. It might be health-related. It may be a family crisis. It may be a financial problem. It may be regret over a big mistake. It may be a relationship that is hard to deal with. Job 5:7, "Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." Acts 14:22, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."

Trials are a sign of God's love not displeasure. He has important lessons to teach us. The person who avoids trouble is likely avoiding the will of God. John Calvin calls the man/woman who runs from trouble constantly: self-centered, self-absorbed, gluttonous individuals who like pigs are unaware that they are being fattened up for the day of slaughter. Loving others involves pain.

I look at someone like Joni Eareckson Tada- a quadrapeligic- who is helping thousands upon thousands with her joyful perseverance in the midst of daily handicap and I feel like a loser for every complaint that comes out of my mouth. I think about the millions of people that would trade places with me to have the opportunity and advantages of living in America. What do I have to complain about? I met a man blind from birth today at the Ziglar corporation- Blake Lindsay- who exuded joy. God uses these "chance" encounters to remind me to be thankful. Repeat with me: I will not complain because I am blessed. If I am breathing it is because God has willed it. I am to make the most of every moment God has entrusted to me.

4. Complaining chokes out all the blessings God has in store for me. Specifically, complaining chokes out the hope of experiencing God as Father, Son and Spirit in a resurrected body and a resurrected earth- the eternal promise.

Dan Stewart is a friend, neighbor and life saver for me. Dan knows how to fix anything. He runs a handy-man business. When something breaks in my home, I call him. Dan has a relaxed way about him and is never in a hurry. He works efficiently, but you can tell there is a peace. I enjoy spending time with him because Dan loves Christ and we talk about the things of God. He has a bumper sticker on his truck that sums up his life: "I am too blessed to be stressed."

Jesus warns us that thorns will attempt to choke out the truth of God- Matthew 13:22. We need to daily fixate our hearts on every reason that we have to be thankful. There are millions. To be more thankful, we need to be more thinkful. Think about everything we take for granted. As Zig Ziglar would say, "We need a check-up from the neck up." Repeat after me: I will not complain because I have been lavished by the grace of God. He has entrusted blessings to me so that I might bless others and glorify the name of Christ in the process.

The self pep-talk is finished. Thanks for bearing with me. Complaining is a cancer. It destroys life. Thankfulness is the cure. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge