Without complaining
Week before last found me grumbling. To myself. I really didn't want to do the job that had to be done. I had plans. Other plans. Plans for things that also had to be done. Only now they took a back seat to these new plans.
I did my work (with a quiet, but poor attitude) for awhile, before I thought about those in Houston, many cleaning up huge messes that they weren't planning on. Hurricane Harvey had interrupted their plans as well. Okay, I thought. I'm definitely not in as difficult of a situation as they are. My unplanned work would only take a couple days. I should be able to do my planned work without any sleepless nights. Okay, I thought. I won't complain anymore.
But that's when the Lord challenged me with the scripture that came to mind "Do all things without grumbling" (Philippians 2:4 NASB) The verse doesn't say, "When you can think of someone who is in a worse situation than you, don't complain." "When you can come up with a meaningful reason not to complain, don't complain." "When you can complain, but not audibly, it's okay."
No, the scripture says, "Do all things without grumbling" (Emphasis mine)
Not some things, not most things, not "unless things are really, really bad." But all things.
But what challenged me the most is that, it wasn't the NASB version of the scripture that first came to mind, but the children's song that I had sung with my kids when they were young. Something I had tried to instill in them. Something that I know we talked about frequently.
Something I still had to learn.
Something I still have to learn.
Oh Lord, how easy it is to complain. How easy it is to forget your many benefits. How easy it is to lose sight of the fact that You are sovereign. How easy it is to forget that You have lessons to teach me that I will not learn unless I listen and obey.
Without complaining.
I did my work (with a quiet, but poor attitude) for awhile, before I thought about those in Houston, many cleaning up huge messes that they weren't planning on. Hurricane Harvey had interrupted their plans as well. Okay, I thought. I'm definitely not in as difficult of a situation as they are. My unplanned work would only take a couple days. I should be able to do my planned work without any sleepless nights. Okay, I thought. I won't complain anymore.
But that's when the Lord challenged me with the scripture that came to mind "Do all things without grumbling" (Philippians 2:4 NASB) The verse doesn't say, "When you can think of someone who is in a worse situation than you, don't complain." "When you can come up with a meaningful reason not to complain, don't complain." "When you can complain, but not audibly, it's okay."
No, the scripture says, "Do all things without grumbling" (Emphasis mine)
Not some things, not most things, not "unless things are really, really bad." But all things.
But what challenged me the most is that, it wasn't the NASB version of the scripture that first came to mind, but the children's song that I had sung with my kids when they were young. Something I had tried to instill in them. Something that I know we talked about frequently.
Something I still had to learn.
Something I still have to learn.
Oh Lord, how easy it is to complain. How easy it is to forget your many benefits. How easy it is to lose sight of the fact that You are sovereign. How easy it is to forget that You have lessons to teach me that I will not learn unless I listen and obey.
Without complaining.
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