Stop Complaining (2)

'...when the people complained, it displeased the Lord...' Numbers 11:1 NKJV

If you think complaining is no big deal, read this: ‘…when the people complained…the Lord heard…and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.’ A wise man once said, ‘I complained that I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.’ God has blessed you in 101 different ways, and He doesn’t want to hear you whining. What were the Israelites grumbling about anyway? ‘Adversity’. For some of us adversity comes through illness. For others it’s a faltering career, not enough money to pay the bills, or a family situation that happened years ago and now you’re left shouldering the responsibility. Some of us made poor decisions earlier in life, and as a result our plans fell apart. Now we’re struggling with marital problems, blended families, and the consequences of our choices. We all have to deal with some level of adversity. We each have something in our life that God doesn’t want to hear us griping about! Understand this: it’s hard to live with adversity but, when you complain, you forego the grace that’ll get you through it. By choosing to complain and cling to the image of a perfect life, you forfeit the grace that’s available to you and will bring you victory. So change your way of thinking. Get down on your knees and pray: ‘Lord, I want the landscape of my life to be different; to experience the joy You give to those who leave the wilderness of ingratitude and move into the Promised Land of thanksgiving.’ That’s a prayer that will change you!