Do you find yourself complaining a lot?
I didn’t count, but I know I complained about the price of food at Sam’s Club while shopping last night, my kid being on his phone too much, how generally rude people are, how little I managed to accomplish in my day off…and that’s just what I remember from yesterday in this moment.
If we really sat down and thought of all the negative things we say and the complaints we make in a day, it would probably be quite staggering in numbers. I have been trying to put more thought into what comes from my lips…because scripture clearly says that death and life are in the power of the tongue… and we choose whether our words are swords or seeds.
I want to be cultivating instead of cutting.
In Philippians 2:14, Paul says, “Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.” (HCSB)
Our complaining separates us from God. The enemy uses the words that we speak to build strongholds in our minds through our complaints. You know how it is…one complaint leads to two, three and then before you know it you are literally fussing and arguing about everything from the color of your shirt being teal instead of turquoise to “I can’t believe that the preacher would say that from the pulpit!”
When we choose to complain, argue and grumble about situations that involve us or don’t involve us, we are just giving the enemy a foothold in our minds to create a command center for complaints to take over!
If the world sees someone who calls themselves a Christian complaining continuously, we are displaying a clouded view of who Christ is and the power over this world that resides within us. Complaints contribute to death and as believers in the finished work of Calvary we should be about bringing forth life with our words, so that others hear speech that shines like stars in a dark world.
Our words should not be clouding others view of our Savior, but spotlighting Him with soothing words that tear down the strongholds in our minds dominated by the enemy.
Let’s allow Christ to control us…not complaints.
