The Reasons Complaining Can Steal Your Joy by Corine Gatti-Santillo for Christian News Journal
“O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods,” Psalms 95:1-3.
Grumble, meh, and you get the picture.
“I don’t like that cereal. No, don’t want it. I want… chips, chips… gummies.” A pantry chock-full of food and queen toddler of the house doesn’t fancy any of it. You know where this going, right? Ten, nine… tantrum! A smorgasbord of choices and blessings and all there are complaints.
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Pause, that kind of sounds like me. I wonder if God perceives me like this –acting like a kid.
Complaining I must drive. Okay, at least I have a car. My kitchen is too small but I have one. There’s no dark roasted coffee brewed at the coffee shop. Do they have to tailgate me in a 35-speed zone? All I have for dinner tonight is a frozen burrito and a box of Life cereal? Ugh! Christians can vent, I hope you’re tracking with me.
The laundry list of complaints continues. Complaining makes things look more detrimental than they are. It can destroy innovations, creativity, companies and attract like-minded negative people. Ever notice, complainers stick together? I experienced this in my first job years go. This person would gossip and complain, after talking to them and being around their company a while, I sounded like them. I felt depressed.
The cycle is never-ending.
Lamenting also damages health. Extra cortisol released by complaining damages the immune system leading to heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Spiritually, the implications of grumbling are no better. After a while, we don’t desire to pray, we whine. It minimizes our power in Christ and in our lives. Soon, the glitter doesn’t glow as much anymore.
