Thought for Wednesday, October 10th

October 10, 2012

Thou Shall Not Whine

“Complaint is the greatest tribute Heaven receives.”

-       Jonathan Swift

      For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Philippians   2:13-15

Does whining annoy you?  I’ve never met anyone who actually seemed to enjoy listening to someone whine and complain.

Yet, have you ever stopped to consider how much we tend to whine and complain to God.

We complain and whine about the church services.  It’s to hot: it’s to cold: the preacher was too long winded; the music was too loud: I didn’t like the songs: and the list could go on and on.  And this is even before we start whining about brother or sister so and so, who didn’t speak to us or didn’t shake our hand: or did you see the way those children were behaving and no one even put them in their place.  This is just a sampling of the many complaints offered up on Sunday’s for just one hour of time.  Imagine how great the magnitude of whines and complaints God must get when you multiply each of our complaints times the hours in a day and the days in a week.

I can’t help but wonder if sometimes God would like to stick His fingers in His ears and tell us to all hush and be still.

And then as if whining and complaining about things on earth and each other isn’t enough: we often get bold enough to whine and complain about God, himself.  He isn’t answering our prayers the right way or fast enough and He isn’t dispensing His justice the way we think He should and ….  -  you get the point.

I know that thou shalt not whine is not one of the Ten Commandments, but I wonder if God might not sometimes wish He had included that one in there.

We should be thankful, rejoicing, grateful, and worshipful in all things.  We need to realize how blessed we are: how great a day is coming for us and we need to be a little less spoiled and whiny while we are here on earth.

It will surely be a challenge but do you think we could all go one week without complaining about anything or anyone?  Imagine what a sweeter and nicer place it would be if there were no complaints for a whole week in your life.  Do you think God might be worthy of such an honor?

Today’s Prayer

Father, forgive me when I whine and complain.  I really have so much to be thankful for and I am so blessed, even if you never did anything else for me, ever again I have already been blessed beyond measure. Help me to whine and complain less and rather instead to praise and give thanksgiving more.

“Purify my heart

Let me be as gold

And precious silver

Purify my heart

Cleanse me from within

And make me holy

Refiner’s fire

My hearts one desire

Is to be holy

Set apart for You my Master

Ready to do your will.“

-  Lyrics from ‘Refiner’s Fire’ by Brian Doerksen