There are certain sounds that can drive you crazy. A car alarm that won't stop sounding, a bicycle wheel that needs oil and keeps squeaking, and of course, the absolute worse, nails on a chalkboard. Just thinking about this noise makes my skin crawl. That screeching sound sends shivers up and down my spine. But as irritating as that sound is, I would rather listen to those fingernails drag down the board any day than listen to someone complaining. I know we are all guilty of this at times, myself included, but there are some people who have made complaining an art form. You know who I am talking about. They complain about taxes, family, their boss, the school systems, and the weather. They would even complain about your problems if you’d let them!
All joking aside, this is an area where we all struggle. Things don’t go exactly how we envisioned, so we default to complaining mode. It seems that this generation in particular has accepted a culture of negativity. Instead of focusing on the positive in a situation, we spend our energy focusing solely on the negative.
And although this generation has now accepted this as the norm, this certainly is not new. In the Old Testament, we see that the Israelites also had a problem with complaining when things didn’t go their way. Their journey of deliverance from the Egyptian hand of slavery and into the Promised Land would be a long one because they defaulted to grumbling every time life presented a challenge.
Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when He heard them His anger was aroused. – Numbers 11:1
The Lord has little tolerance for this type of ungrateful heart. In fact, every word that seeks to dwell on the negative and generate a series of whining and complaining must compare to the sound of nails on a chalkboard to Him. The Israelite’s 11 day journey was now turned into 40 years of wandering in the wilderness because of their “poor me” attitudes.
Sure, we deal with trying circumstances and difficult people, but we have plenty of reasons to be grateful – life, food on our tables, health, family, friends, and most importantly, our relationship with God. Unfortunately, we focus on the things that don’t go our way, rather than on all things that do.
Ladies, let’s stop complaining. Life is unpredictable – full of ups and downs. But, God has called us to turn to Him in times of need, not complain when the littlest interruption comes our way. Let’s put an end to this culture of negativity. Put your nails down and back away from the chalkboard!
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” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. – Philippians 2:14-15
