Become a chain breaker

Maybe the bad weather and dark days are taking their toll on people, but lately I have heard a tremendous amount of complaining.

The complaining doesn’t seem to be in one specific area but covers just about every topic you can think of.

For example, people complain about the weather. Last summer everyone was upset because it was so hot and there was a drought. The farmer next door told me that the heat just couldn’t continue or he would lose money.

When it started snowing, drivers were wishing for rain, but this week one of my co-workers left the building when I did and she informed me that this rain was just ridiculous and needed to stop.

All this made me stop and wonder if human beings are ever truly happy. Myself, I like all weather. I like the four seasons that the Columbia Basin has because it brings variety and change to my life.

Storms even intrigue me. As a kid, I would sit out on the porch with a cup of tea and watch the lightning and thunder do a dance across the sky. As an adult, I still love lightning storms.

I have also heard a lot of complaining about other people. Criticisms about how others do their jobs to the way they dress have been floating around my workplace.

These all seem like things that take away from what we are trying to accomplish and just get in the way of productivity.

The Bible is very clear about complaining. Philippians 2:14 says, “Do all things without grumbling or questioning.” Wouldn’t that be nice to have everyone happy about what was happening?

There are times when speaking up is appropriate. We should always try to change things if they are dangerous or hurtful in anyway.

Christians are to be concerned with social justice issues that plague our world, but those are not the things that I have been dealing with lately.

My attention has been grabbed by petty complaints that have been launched in the building I work in. They get passed from one person to another and they grow exponentially every time they are repeated.

I try to make it my goal to break the chain of complaining. I listen because I know that people need to vent to someone, but I never pass on what I hear.

I do talk to God about my concerns and I have found that usually God finds a way for my concern to be resolved. It may not be immediately but that only teaches me patience. God know I need to work in that area.

I try to follow James 5:9 when it says, “Do not grumble against one another.” It only leads to hard feelings.

All Christians need to ask themselves if they are chain breakers. Do you pass on rumors, complains, and judgments, or do you just hand them over to your Creator and let Him deal with the problem?

Talking to God always helps.