Do all things without complaining and disputing, Philippians 2:14 (NKJV)
A man once said to me, “Pastor, I would love your job. You preach, encourage people and pray with them…I would love to do what you do.” I love what I do as well, but preaching and praying with people comprises only a small part of what I do. Much of my time is spent in meetings and taking care of other aspects of my position, most of which are not that much fun.
We would all like every day to be perfect. But the fact remains that life is hard work. Once you accept that none of us can breeze through it, you can work hard while you enjoy it each day and live life to the fullest!
Philippians 2:14 instructs us to do all that we do without murmuring— both what we like and what we don’t like to do. When our kids were being trained to help out around the house, not one of them did a happy dance when being told it was their turn to clean the bathroom. To tell you the truth, I’m not excited when it’s my turn either! But everyone has to do things they don’t like.
Actually, murmuring and complaining is just ingratitude talking. When you are thankful, you don’t complain and murmur. Despite delayed results in a number of areas of your life, you can choose to be thankful for what has happened so far.
Ask yourself, “What have I complained about this week?” If it’s your marriage, what can you be thankful for in your spouse? If your health is the problem, how have you seen God come through for you in the past? Can you thank Him for that? Build up your faith in the area you tend to complain about by speaking God’s promises and thanking Him in advance.