Do Everything Without Complaining, By Allison A.

Do Everything Without Complaining

By Allison A.

"I'm tired."
"That girl is soo annoying."
"You're making beef stew for dinner? I hate that meal!"

Sound familiar? Complaining is something you hear all the time, and it comes in many forms. We often like to express how annoyed we are at the moment (if you're tired, hungry, etc.), but it really is not helpful for anyone to hear.

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation."
Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV)

This is the same scripture in the New Living Translation (NLT):
"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."

I remember hearing about complaining in a girl's Bible discussion. My youth group leader said that when you complain, you are complaining against God. He put everything and everyone in your life for a reason, and if you complain about your life, you are not recognizing everything that God has given you and that everything was meant to be. He made your life as it is because He has a plan for you, so complaining is basically being ungrateful. Complaining can also be hurtful to others. Talking negatively about how annoying that girl in your math class is is neither helpful for the people listening or uplifting to that girl. We may not even notice when we are complaining, but try to find areas in your life where you are prone to complain and change it to a more helpful comment: instead of complaining about what your mom is making for dinner, say "Thanks for making dinner, Mom! I appreciate it." Or instead of groaning about how tired you are at school, you could focus on using your remaining strength to finish your schoolwork! Just be on the lookout for complaining in your life, and you may feel a lot more positive about different situations!