It’s so easy to slip into complaining when things don’t go the way we planned. When we’re frustrated, facing delays, or feeling overwhelmed, negativity can creep in, and before we know it, we’re rehearsing our disappointments instead of rehearsing God’s promises. But here’s a thought: If God inhabits our praises, then who inhabits our complaints?
Our words and attitudes attract presence, and we decide what presence we want to invite into our lives.
Sometimes, we unknowingly set up landmines along our own path to destiny. Our words and attitudes can either clear the way for God’s blessings or create obstacles that keep us stuck. Complaining is one of those landmines. It drains our energy, reinforces a mindset of powerlessness, and often keeps us from taking action to change our circumstances. When we complain, we remain.
Terri Savelle Foy put it perfectly: “The truth is, the only thing complaining does is convince other people that you are not in control. Complaining is a subconscious way of expressing that you are powerless to change your circumstances. When you complain about your debt, you are voicing hopelessness to be financially free. When you complain about your body, you are decreeing impossibilities to be in shape. When you complain about your job, you are expressing despair that it could never improve.”
If we have the energy to complain, wouldn’t it be better spent seeking God’s wisdom, direction, and strategy for change? And if there are things beyond our control, to trust them to God’s hands rather than allowing them to weigh us down?
Speak Life, Not Complaints
Philippians 2:14-16 says, “Do everything without complaining and arguing so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life.” (NLT)
I love how The Message translation puts it: “Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night.” (Philippians 2:14-16 MSG)
Our words hold power. Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” What we choose to speak into our lives will shape our experience. Complaining magnifies problems, but gratitude magnifies God’s presence.
When we praise Him, we shift our focus from what’s wrong to what’s possible, creating an atmosphere where miracles can happen.
So today, I encourage you to be that breath of fresh air. Carry light into the darkness. Speak words that align with faith, hope, and gratitude, and watch as God moves in your circumstances.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your love and care for me today and for the many blessings in my life. Instead of complaining, I choose to pray, to trust, and to give thanks. I believe that with you, all things are possible, and I expect to see your goodness in my life. Help me to use my words to bring life, not discouragement, and to be a source of light in the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts, offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” (Philippians 4:6-7 CEV)
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