Complaining

² And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, ³ and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Exodus 16:2-3 (ESV>

I'll admit it. That sounds like me some of the time. I'll be on my way, following God's lead, and it won't quite be to my liking. So I complain. Most of the time, I won't do it out loud. After all, I don't want to set a bad example. But if you could hear what's going on inside my head (or even inside my heart), you'd hear me yelling like the cranky old man that I am and complaining.

It's so easy really. It's easy for me to focus on something that's going on around me or something that I want that I don't have or something that somebody else is doing that has no bearing on what I need to be doing. I lose my focus and I start to complain. A word to the wise, stay out of my way when I am complaining.

However, if I take time to remind myself of who Jesus is, what He did for me, who I am in Him, and what my ultimate goal is, I stop complaining. I'm glad to say that this is becoming easier - but it's still far from automatic. I need to focus on Him, the Truth, and His Word.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6 (ESV>

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2