Complaining. How do you feel when you read that word? If complaining were a person, would it be one that you’d feel well acquainted with, or would it seem like a stranger? Teenagers, and even adults in this generation, are surrounded with innumerable low expectations, and complaining is only one of them.
Together we can combat the lie to succumb to its grasp through a biblical perspective, and we can rise above these low expectations. A few weeks ago, a group of young Christian writers and I decided to stand up and do something difficult. Very difficult. Thanks to Brett Harris creating the No Complaining challenge, a couple friends and I decided after a Bible study call that we weren’t going to complain for one week. Then, we went to our family members and asked them to hold us accountable — for seven whole days. Some of us made charts on pieces of paper to mark every time we complained, while others developed a new habit to apologize to those around them when they caught themselves complaining. Scripture makes it clear that complaining displeases the Lord, negatively affects us, and can even hurt others. Read below what Krystle, a participant of the No Complaining challenge, has to say: "Complaining is something everyone does and oftentimes we don’t realize we do it. Recently, I participated in the "No Complaining" challenge. I didn’t write every time I complained, but I was more observant to my complaining. The people in the Bible who complained a lot were the Israelites. They complained to Moses about how God brought them out of Egypt just so they would die of hunger and thirst. God had good gifts for the Israelites, but they weren’t trusting God to supply their needs. So often we don’t trust God to supply our needs and we start complaining about how things aren’t how we want them!” We were so benefitted by that week of no complaining that we even decided to do it the following week. Seeing our improvement was encouraging, and looking forward to sharing our areas of growth the following week made it even fun. We can see how complaining from the Israelites caused Moses and the Lord to rebuke them in Exodus 16:8. “And Moses said, [This shall be], when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what [are] we? your murmurings [are] not against us, but against the LORD.” The Israelites murmured in their tents and didn’t pay attention to the voice of the Lord (Psalm 106:25)! We see from this verse that we’re not only to refrain from murmuring when others are surrounding us but even when we’re at home in secret! God is everywhere, and hears every word that comes out of our mouths. We aren’t to leave purity of speech on the wayside when we’re alone in the car, or working on chores at home. A verse that helps me to be thankful in every situation is James 1:17 which says that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” That means that even the smallest gifts in life are from God. Just like the Israelites behaved after they were freed from the captivity of Egypt, Christians can often behave as if we deserve more than what God has already given us. We reason with ourselves that we don’t deserve to suffer, struggle, or be inconvenienced. Rather, we’re tempted to live just as the Israelites did and forget where God brought us from! We shouldn’t so easily forget the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for us, and the eternal life He gave us. It would have been immense grace if He had allowed us to suffer a little while in hell, but He kept us out completely. He’s already given us enough reason to praise Him for eternity, even if He never does one more thing for us! So...the challenge is on. Teens and adults around the world are putting an end to complaining. They’re shining a light on the sin that is so often dismissed and overlooked. They’re glorifying God even with the words they choose to— or not to— speak. Will you join us? Philippians 2:14- “Do all things without murmurings or disputings.” In Christ Jesus, Hannah K.
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AuthorHello, I'm Hannah and I'm so glad you're here! I'm a twenty-year-old Jesus-loving writer, National Bible Bee Alumna, and homeschool graduate. Jesus redeemed me, and now I give my life, and this blog, to serve Him. Hebrews 3:13 reminds us to encourage each other daily, lest we be hardened by sin. I hope that reading each blog entry that I post you will be encouraged and challenged to become more like Christ daily. |