ARE YOU PRAIS’N OR COMPLAIN’N?
When Mondays roll around, are you fired up about your week? Are you excited about what God has for you today? Turn Monday blahs into Monday praises. Spend the time you normally complain (if you do. I don’t want to suggest you do if you do not, wink) and list the things you are thankful to God for. My son was supper bummed out this summer because he had to attend a summer school experience for his charter high school. It was basically an orientation that included team building exercises and homework. It was four days long and it lasted all day each day. After listening to a day of him complaining, I said, “Jacob, now that’s enough, son. I know you are bummed out, but I want you to focus on being thankful to God for this opportunity. If you can’t be thankful for this opportunity, then find other things to thank God for. Make a list in your mind and present them to God. Ask Him to help you through this week, somehow.”
The next day, I asked him how it went. He said, “Great! I thanked God that I didn’t fall down the stairs at school. I thanked Him that I didn’t fall up the stairs because sometimes falling up hurts worse than falling down them. I thanked Him that I didn’t have to eat cafeteria food. I thanked Him that I didn’t end up in a team-building group with the kid who smelled really bad. I thanked Him that the air conditioning wasn’t broken, and I thanked Him for all the bad things that could have happened to me that didn’t!”
I chuckled to myself and said, “Well, son, that’s one way to do it!” I didn’t want to critique him. After all, he did do what I asked him to do and he did stop complaining.
Truly, I bet there are a million things that could happen to us every day that don’t happen to us all because of the grace of God. And for the bad things that do happen, we can entrust them all to God. He’s got us covered.
Have faith my friend. Have faith, and thank Him rather than complain today. I challenge you to seal your mouth so that you don’t fill the air with negativity. After all, whatever you put out into the air you still have to breathe it in. Fill your surroundings with His life-giving Word.
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her recently founded Share & Company Publishing House http://seymourkristina.wix.
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.
Originally published Tuesday, 19 March 2024.
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