During this season of nominations and elections I thought that this was an interesting thing for the Lord to lay on my heart.....
Winston Churchill once said, "For myself, I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else."
I am sure that any of you that is reading this have been guilty of complaining about your boss or the owner of your company. But believe it or not, some people complain about a lot of things. I certainly have been found guilty of it. And so have my kids. They have gotten better about it but sometimes they feel the need to voice their displeasure before they do what I have told them to do. But if we are honest with ourselves we are just a guilty as they are. We live in a society of complaining people that won't use their God given brains to figure out the solutions to their problems. So they sit and complain.
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:14-16 ESV
Paul was absolutely right on target with what he says here in Philippians. We would definitely stand out if we didn't complain like everyone else does, whether it is about our government and they way they run things or the fact the coach of our local high school football team calls the sweep too much. We would almost certainly be the bright lights in the darkness of our world. It is hard to hide or blend in a group of complaining or protesting people when you don't think the same way. Who knows? Maybe if we focused on staying positive, perhaps the energy we put off would change those around us. But what do I know...Perhaps we could remind them in a hurting job market how blessed they are to be employed and getting a regular paycheck.
I have found that sometimes it takes a "team" to put their collective heads together to make a situation better. The key of this is to focus solely on the positives and not the negatives of the situation. Churchill was dead on when he said that there was not much use being anything but an optimist.
I can tell you that this is an area that I struggle with. Since I was a kid I have always expected the worst situation or seen the worst in people. The reason for this outlook? I wish I knew. That is one of the things I am going to ask the Lord when I get to heaven. But I think that this is just another stumbling block that is in my life that I may never overcome but that is why we are called to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit.
You never know who is watching for an example of how to react in certain situations. They are looking to see if you are one of the few who walk through life not complaining or if you are like the many in our world that seem to live for complaining. You may be the only light they see.
In my office I have a piece of paper hanging on my bulletin board behind my desk that says this, "Rather than complaining, try to count the blessings you see and then turn it around to be a positive force to make things better."
Winston Churchill once said, "For myself, I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else."
I am sure that any of you that is reading this have been guilty of complaining about your boss or the owner of your company. But believe it or not, some people complain about a lot of things. I certainly have been found guilty of it. And so have my kids. They have gotten better about it but sometimes they feel the need to voice their displeasure before they do what I have told them to do. But if we are honest with ourselves we are just a guilty as they are. We live in a society of complaining people that won't use their God given brains to figure out the solutions to their problems. So they sit and complain.
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:14-16 ESV
Paul was absolutely right on target with what he says here in Philippians. We would definitely stand out if we didn't complain like everyone else does, whether it is about our government and they way they run things or the fact the coach of our local high school football team calls the sweep too much. We would almost certainly be the bright lights in the darkness of our world. It is hard to hide or blend in a group of complaining or protesting people when you don't think the same way. Who knows? Maybe if we focused on staying positive, perhaps the energy we put off would change those around us. But what do I know...Perhaps we could remind them in a hurting job market how blessed they are to be employed and getting a regular paycheck.
I have found that sometimes it takes a "team" to put their collective heads together to make a situation better. The key of this is to focus solely on the positives and not the negatives of the situation. Churchill was dead on when he said that there was not much use being anything but an optimist.
I can tell you that this is an area that I struggle with. Since I was a kid I have always expected the worst situation or seen the worst in people. The reason for this outlook? I wish I knew. That is one of the things I am going to ask the Lord when I get to heaven. But I think that this is just another stumbling block that is in my life that I may never overcome but that is why we are called to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit.
You never know who is watching for an example of how to react in certain situations. They are looking to see if you are one of the few who walk through life not complaining or if you are like the many in our world that seem to live for complaining. You may be the only light they see.
In my office I have a piece of paper hanging on my bulletin board behind my desk that says this, "Rather than complaining, try to count the blessings you see and then turn it around to be a positive force to make things better."
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