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Focusing on the Joys of the Journey

  

               “Do everything without grumbling or arguing” (Philippians 2:14).

               It seems to be our nature to see the bad side of things.  We gripe when we have nothing to do, but we do not want to be too busy.  We grumble about how little we earn, but then complain about the income tax bill when we make more.  We get bored sitting at home, but then grouch about how our hotel bed in another city is not as comfortable as our own.  COVID restrictions, whether you were for or against them, gave us another entire level of discord.

               We need Philippians 2:14 now more than ever.

               The silly thing about grumbling, complaining, and arguing is that you are the one that suffers the most.  Focusing on the negative aspects of your life only makes you miserable.  As one person said to me, “Grumbling is like taking poison and hoping that it hurts the other guy”. 

               To be clear, I am not denying that there are bad circumstances in the world or your life.  I am not saying that we need to pretend to be happy all the time.  I am not telling you to ignore real injustices or inequities.  However, I am encouraging you to, at the very least, focus on things you can change.  For example, grumbling about the government does nothing.  You get to vote once every four years and that is it.  All the coffee shop grumbling in the world is not going to change who is in charge or what they do.  For our own sake, we would be better off focusing on our blessings rather than our complaints.  As George Buttrick, an old-time preacher once said, “We need to deliberately call to mind the joys of our journey”. 

               Life will always be complicated.  It will always have ups and downs.  If we have an emotional reaction to everything, we will always be in turmoil.  

               Why not determine to rejoice more than you complain?  If you do not choose to be happy now, eventually you will run out of time.

               “Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God” (Psalm 43:5).

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