No Complaints

I'm planning to spend the next several days updating my progress with walking by the Spirit.

For the past few days, God has been showing me and reminding me of the Scripture, Philippians 2:14 "Do everything without complaining or arguing, ". In fact my daughter Rachel and I have been having a conversation about it. How we like to "complain". And I put it into quotes because we don't look at it as complaining. We're explaining how someone, or something happened to mess with our plans, feelings, or opinions. We're women, and we need to talk it out to understand what's going on with us. Right?

Lately, I'll apologize for complaining mid-rant, and invariably the person I'm speaking to says that it's okay. We all need to vent, and they understand.

But as God kept teaching me about complaining, I saw that it is the opposite of something else he has commanded us. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". I thought about the Israelites complaining in the desert about how tired they were of God's provision of manna.

And wow, isn't that just like me? My pride, my selfish desires, even my righteous indignation gives way to complaining, instead of remembering all of God's provision. Nothing comes to me without first going through God's hands.

Maybe the very thing I complain about was sent to grow me. "He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you." Deuteronomy 6:18

I must admit I feel pretty humbled. Lately I think I've been failing the test. This walking in the Spirit is eye-opening.

There may still be something to talking it out, but first I need to talk it out with Jesus, instead of the person from whom I'm going to get the desired response. Because this is God's will for me in Christ Jesus.