Leave your life of complaining...

“Leave your life of complaining.”

That’s what we’re going to spend a bit of time exploring. How we can escape from this trap of the devil. Where we can go for strength to overcome this sin. Who we can turn to for victory over complaining.

The strength and victory parts of our exploration are fairly simple. We go to God for strength to overcome the sin of complaining just the same as any other sin. He gives us the victory. God, by his Holy Spirit within you, within me, makes it possible for us to live a complaint-free life.

Do you believe that? Before you answer that, let me ask you a few related questions. Is it possible, by God’s power within you, to live an adultery-free life? Can a believer, with God’s help, live a murder-free life? What about theft-free or idolatry-free?

Those things are possible once you’ve believed on Jesus and given your life to him, aren’t they? If you have been able to live free of any sin since you put your trust in Jesus, you are able to live free of complaining.

Let me put it another way. If God is able to deliver you and I from the grip of “major” sins, but unable to rescue from small evils, is he truly all powerful? No. So if God is all powerful – and he is – he must be able to give me victory over complaining. He must be able to help you stop whining. He must or he is not all powerful. Make sense?

Does this mean we all will live complaint-free? No. We won’t because, rather than submit ourselves to God, rather than ask for help, we’ll go it alone. We’ll try to quit griping, but we’ll fall back into the whiny trap. We’ll fail because, quite frankly, we’re too weak to stifle the strong, strong, strong inner compulsion to grumble. The spirit may be willing, but your flesh is weak.

I have no doubt that every one of you mean well. I truly believe that you don’t want to complain, that you don’t intend to be critical. You are good-hearted people, but you fall short of God’s standard and grouse about this and that and the other thing. I do too!

Every believer who tries in their own strength to quit mumbling about their circumstances or about the stupid idiots that surround them will fail.

The good you want to do – not complaining – will not be what you do. No! The evil you hate – complaining – you will do. Who will rescue you from this craziness? Who will set me free? Thanks be to God, we have victory in Jesus Christ our Lord. Praise be to the Father who gives his Holy Spirit who in turn gives us the power to say no to ungodly grumbling.

The Holy Spirit will produce his fruit in our lives. What is that fruit? In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul tells us that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (NIV)

These are the things that God produces in us when we live in him and for him. Can you see how these things can combat our tendency to voice our complaints? Would we be able to gripe about others if we truly loved them? Can we be patient with our friends and still complain about them? If we are full of God’s kindness, can we speak out of a critical spirit? No! If the Spirit of God lives in us and we are living in him, complaining cannot come from our lips.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14, NIV)

Are you eager to do what is good? I am! We are God’s people. He is purifying us. He has given us the power to say no to ungodly complaining. It’s only when we say “thanks, but no thanks” to God’s help that we are defeated. It’s only on our own that we can weep and wail and whine. Our victory is in Jesus Christ alone!

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