I Cannot Stand This!

I am a wimp!

I am not a wimp when it comes to pain. Compared to others I think I have a very high pain tolerance. I am not a wimp when it comes to work. I think I can outwork many people. I drive a motorcycle, love hockey and I am a track official at the “Estevan Motor Speedway”. I like working on old motorcycles and cars and I always have a project on the go. I am not wimpy in those ways.

What am I a wimp about then?

I cannot stand complainers!

When people start complaining, especially about things that neither they nor I have any control over, I quickly lose interest in the conversation. There are many legitimate concerns in the world and if you have a real problem, I am glad to listen and help you in any way that I can. However, if you are just whining then you can see yourself to the door.

Maybe this is a character flaw of mine. Maybe I should be more patient and compassionate. However, I think I actually have some backup for this attitude. You see, God hates whiners too!

Philippians 2:14-15 says, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God”. Ephesians 4:29 is even more direct: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”. In the Old Testament, as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, God noted that they were “grumblers” and it was not a compliment!

Again, if you have a real need, I am the man to call.

If, on the other hand, you are choosing to ignore the thousands of good things around you so that you can talk about something that is negative, my calendar is booked. Please call again!

Now, I realize that it is a little ironic that I am complaining about complainers. I also understand that it is naïve to pretend that everything is great when it is not. I am not saying, “Stick your head in the sand”. What I am saying is that we all have a choice. I am choosing to focus on good and positive things simply because doing anything else just discourages everyone.

What are you choosing?

Comments

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly. https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s

Consider This: Twenty-three Descriptions of God (Psalm 145)

Let’s play a quick game. Take 10 seconds and list 5 or 6 words to describe God. Got your words? Good! Here comes the game part. I will list twenty-three ways that David describes God in Psalm 145, and we will see how many of his words match yours. David says that God is, the king, great, majestic, wonderful, powerful, awesome, abundant in goodness, righteous, gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love, good to all, glorious, mighty, trustworthy, faithful, supporting, generous, providing, near, saving and watching. How did you do? This is not a useless exercise. The words we use to describe God not only indicate something about how we see him, but they also influence how we interact with him. For example, if I know that God is “Gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (verse 8), I will not fear him, and I will not assume that he is against me. When I remember that...

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants. Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do. Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most. In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks. However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like! Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites. That is not true. They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...

Consider this

Subscribe

Get new posts by email:

Search This Blog