Stop Complaining!

I felt like I was in boot camp this past summer.

I know all of life is a learning process, but the past few months were particularly intense for me. In the middle of each challenge, I could hear God asking me if I would allow Him to grow me. Much to my regret, I didn’t take every opportunity, but in His goodness, God didn’t give up on me. Time and time again, He offered me grace and another chance.

There were more than a few times when I got tired of fighting and wondered, ‘Why bother? What’s on the other side of this besides another challenge?’  Then most of the time, I was able to look at my situation differently as I got over my little pity party.

I cannot be effective for God unless I allow Him to conform me into His image, and that is where growth comes into the picture. God specializes in taking ugly situations, giving us grace and strength to get through them, and growing us in the process.

And I complain about it.

I was bought by His blood and saved by His grace from sin and death, and I do a lot of whining because of a little discomfort. God gave me a message of forgiveness and grace to share with the world, and I sit here whining about an opportunity to become more like Christ.

So I am not going to complain about how hard life is.

I don’t want to pass up another opportunity to worship God because I am too blinded by selfishness to see Him working.

I don’t want to stay stuck in a rut when I can be making use of His power working through me to accomplish great things for His Kingdom.

I don’t want to miss another opportunity to tell somebody about how God has worked in my life, because God is big enough use my stumbling tongue for His glory when I allow Him to.

Instead, I am going to ask Him for an attitude adjustment so I can praise Him for His goodness and His faithfulness.

Because, to borrow the words of the Psalmist, “…the Lord is good, His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”