“Do all things without complaining…” Philippians 2:4
With my daughter being about 2 ½ years old, I have heard quite a bit of crying the past couple of years. That’s what babies do. When she was born, she cried. When she woke up in the middle of the night, she cried. When she was hungry, she cried. Crying was her way of communicating her needs. Now I know she was not necessarily complaining in those moments of crying, she was communicating in the only way she knew how. Now that she is about 2 ½, she is right in that stage between learning to use some words and crying. Sometimes she will start to cry, and I will ask her what is wrong and then she can communicate it with words or motions. She is learning that she can do something beyond cry. It is fun to watch this progression of maturity in her life.
I was reflecting on her process of growth one day and God reminded me that it is similar in our life with Him. If we are spiritually immature, we will simply gripe, cry, grumble, and complain. As we grow in maturity of our relationship with God, we will learn to communicate with Him and others through more direct expression and conversation. We often resort to complaining and grumbling because it is easy and comes naturally. I believe what God wants us to do is to realize that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants us to take our needs to Him. Complaining just leaves us stuck. But communication with God brings healing, perspective, and relief. God might not choose to change our situation or circumstance every time, just as a loving parent should not concede to every demand of a 2-year-old. Yet, communication with God instead of complaining sure does bring better perspective and a better attitude inside.
So, I encourage you to be mindful of your complaints. Turn those complaints into communication with your Heavenly Father. Allow Him to hear you express your heart to Him in a more healthy and mature manner. Turn your complaints into good communication.