What are you griping about?

From the moment you first awake in the morning, how long does it take before you utter (or think) your first complaint?

Many start immediately by complaining mentally (or aloud) that they need to get up to start another day. They do so without a thought that God has decided to bless them with yet another day of life … something He does not owe them. These people tend to especially curse Mondays and worship Fridays.

Or the complaining begins with the rush of the morning, having to care for children and get them fed and ready for school. Complaining without remembering the value of those children to your life.

If that hasn’t started your complaints, they often come in the car while battling traffic on the way to work. How bothersome it is that so many people are out on the roads where they are in your way. Done without a thought to the blessing of having a job (even a “bad” one) to go to.

Once we’ve started our complaints rolling, we tend to complain throughout the day about anything that inconveniences us. And we usually don’t complain just to ourselves, our complaints are usually shared with others where they tend to be encouraged (which just leads to continued complaining).

Then we complain about the traffic on the way home. We complain about having to cook the food God has blessed us with for a dinner. We complain about having to do dishes, bathe children, and having to make time for “others” such as a family when we’d rather just take care of ourselves. Then as we climb into bed, we complain about the hectic day we had.

Many people spend much of their day with a grumbling attitude.

How quickly we go from awaking to complaining really is a reflection of our spiritual health.

Many offer the excuse that “it’s only human” to complain, and “everyone does it.” They see complaining, a little or a lot, as a natural human behavior.

It is … for those living naturally, by the “flesh” instead of by the Spirit of God.

The influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is not to lead us to complain about the gift of life, or children, or work (provision), or so many of the other things we far too often utter against. The influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives would be to lead us to thank, praise, and be grateful to God for such things.

From the moment you first awake in the morning, how long does it take for you to utter (or think) your first heart-felt thanks and praise to God? That, also, is a reflection of your spiritual health.

Which would best describe you: one who grumbles their way through their day, or one who praises God with a grateful heart? It’s the same day, different responses. One is led by the “flesh,” the other by the influence of the Holy Spirit in the life.

Which is leading you?

Scotty