The Complaining
Can Complaining affect your destiny? I was reading in the bible how if you are unthankful you are already in darkness. I sometimes imagine God like a parent wanting to give us the best and we sit like little children complaining that it is not exactly what we want. Sometimes what God considers the best is very challenging for us.
God gave Paul strips on his back, stoned outside the city, and even had a stint in prison. I like how Paul in the bible says, "I have learned to be content. In much or in little."
Paul even praised the Lord in prison. After being beaten by the guards. In the mist of praise God shook the cells and open the doors and did a miracle at the moment Paul and Silas praised the Lord. I don't think Paul deserved being punished for preaching the gospel. God did allow Paul and Silas to suffer even when it wasn't for their wrong. There is power in that. That is if you don't complain. In the mist of unfairness they sang to God. Almost an acknowledgement that no matter what happens to us. We will still Love you God. WE will thank you Despite the Unfairness of this All.
I do believe the goodness of God was working not only in Paul but in those he came in contact with too. Paul decided to follow the Jesus. In this process their has to be real surrendered. When we asked Jesus into our life its not when its convenient to us. God will challenge us to follow when it isn't convenient. Paul had to have a mind of a servant. A servant doesn't have a say in matters of life. They are to serve and do what the master asks of them. Paul determined in himself, I will thank You even when I don't like this life. Paul's life was given totally to God. God wanted others to see this wonderful example of sacrificial obedience and being faithful even when it's not fair.
See when you think in your mind things aren't fair, may really be opportunities to rise above yourself. Paul saw a miracle and God honored his praise before everybody in the prison cell. That moment changed the lives of those that experienced the moment and the guards that were going to kill themselves because they thought the prisoners escaped. The guards that at one time were beating Paul ended up taking Paul to his house and listened to the gospel. The prison guard saw power, honor, and integrity in Paul.
Its easy to hate others. The lashing of the tongue is a great tool that Satan uses against the brethren. The prison guard believe he had a right to judge Paul. The truth is Paul who was a man of God never deserved the judgment.
Hate is contagious. If your in a social group and one person influences an opinion of another the danger is the whole group will start to think the same. In sociology it's called group think. Where the group opinion of another will be united together and individual thought or opinion will be challenged. This person in sociology is called the mind guard. This mind guard will always defend the opinion of the group and rise and challenge anyone who thinks differently. This mind guard will rise up and use all of his resources to disqualify the individual opinion that challenges the group.
He will fight for the unity of the one thought in the mind.
The challenger in NASA is an example of group think. Even when someone expressed, "That it wasn't safe to launch." The group renounced the opinion and kept on and it was devastating. Then when the group failed the safety of the launch and many died and now the world is looking at the mistake. The group failed.
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986. Group thinking is dangerous. Sometimes an individual and different voice is necessary. If it was heard the people in the Shuttle wouldn't of died.
Be careful when you hate someone, that you truly don't have a personal offense with. Just because someone said, "they did something to them." The truth is they didn't do anything to you. Sometimes because you love someone and they cry and make you feel bad for them. You will believe their side. The truth is its manipulation and the emotional impact of apathy will even affect how you think.
I have found myself in situations fighting for someone else's honor when it wasn't even might fight. I have yelled and mistreated someone for someone else. Now, when I think back I can't believe how I fell into the trap. I Became someone's puppet fighting a fight that wasn't mine. Their strings that pulled my heart and fed my ears with complaints made me a an attacker. I even got a wipe and hit the back of the innocent because I only heard one story. Yes at one time or another I became like that guard. Thinking I was doing the right thing. That is the danger of hearing complaining and even complaining about others to others. Could harm good people. Even if they aren't good people who are we to say what they are. Their is only One Judge He is God. We are all evil at one time or another. The bible says, "their is no one good."
Like this guard he was fighting for the rule of law. Obeying those who are in authority ended up finding out he was beating a holy and great man of God.
Make sure the fights you are in are because of personal experience. Even then surrender it and forgive because you want to be forgiven. Don't get in fights that aren't yours. Have your own opinion. Be an individual. It is better to stand alone and be right. Than to follow the group and be wrong. How many people stood yelling, " Kill Jesus." A couple days before they were praising him. We have to have a standard even Moses asked the children of Israel take a stand are you going to obey God or not.
Complaining can keep you from blessings. For every day the children of Israel complained in the wilderness at Moses they got a year. In the wilderness they complained 40 days they lived in the wilderness 40 years. Yes, you read right, for every day you complain at God for where He has you. Yeah, you can live it a full year. Till you learn to be thankful and learn the lesson that He needs you to learn.
Isn't it funny how they complained about being slaves. How the slavery of Pharaoh was hard. Now they are not in the hands of the Egyptians and in the wilderness with God. Then they wanted to go back because they felt not knowing what is next is worse than being a slave. Crazy right.
Can you imagine doing the best for your children and you know what is best for them. Selfish children will complain. They will wine and cry that its not fair and the truth is sometimes its the best place. This place is the place where you grow up and become a person the God will be pleased with. A person that He would be proud of. Like Paul who praised Him in prison. Like Jesus His son Whom He said, "He is well pleased and told the disciples to listen to Jesus."
Complaining grieves the Holy Spirit. Who you need for the day of redemption.
We all want to please our parents. We have a great Father. Determine to be thankful and grateful for the mercy of God in you life. Thank Him for His Goodness. The bible says, "Enter into His Gates with praise and thanksgiving." You can't enter into God's presence unless your thankful and willing to praise regardless of where you are. Your not in prison and even if you are you don't have an excuse not to be thankful. Your not in hell this place no one can leave. Even prison has an exit. Your alive and have time to just praise God for His goodness.
He is a wonderful parent and always is working everything out for your good. I love Paul what an example for all of us. He even said, "What has happened to me was for the furtherance of the Gospel." He realized that God was working out for Paul's good even when their were times he didn't see what God was doing.
So stop complaining, because it's not becoming, if you are children of God!! Trust Him regardless of what it looks like.
