Turning Your Complaints into Gratitude – A Great Challenge

In the Bible, Jesus’ half brother James makes two important statements about tough circumstances (James 1:2-26). First, God uses circumstances to grow us into Christlikeness. As we undergo tough or pressured circumstances, God uses them to help shape us in our character. God’s goal is for us to be a foretaste of what redemption will ultimately look like in the future. He uses circumstances to help in that way. Second, while undergoing those pressures, as followers of Jesus, we must watch our contentment level. When we are not content, it opens the door for sin. He specifically says, “When lust conceives, it brings forth sin.” Therefore, we have to fight for both contentment and a willingness to grow into Christlikeness. With these two principles in mind, you can begin this fight by turning your complaints into gratitude, which is a great challenge. Consider the examples I have provided below and try to come up with your own.

Flip Your Complaints into Gratitude

Here is our challenge: whatever you are tempted to complain, flip that and consider what it is you can be grateful for in the midst of the pressure.

Consider some of these great examples:[1]

• Early wakeups by children = Children to love
• House to clean = Safe place to live
• Laundry = Clothes to wear
• Dirty dishes = Food to eat
• Crumbs under the table = Family meals
• Shopping to do = Money to use
• Toilets to clean = Indoor plumbing
• Lots of noise = Kids having fun
• Endless questions = Kids learning
• Getting into bed sore and tired = I’m still alive
• Dead battery = Vehicle to drive
• Long hours working = Job to help provide
• Volunteer responsibilities at church = Place to grow and change
• Poor communication from a spouse = Spouse with whom to communicate
• Lots of traffic = I have the ability to get out
• Long to-do list = I can still think and fulfill responsibilities
• Crying child = This is a child in God’s image who I get to serve

We could go on and on with this list. In fact, that is exactly what I want you to do. Let this list become yours as you think through your own pressures.

Notice how contentment is just a bit further down the road than our pressures.

We look at our pressures as part of what God gives to us, then we take it one step further to recognize that as we go through these pressures, God uses these to help us become like Christ. Once my spirit is there, I can see these pressures for the actual good each one brings in my life. Instead of complaining about the pressure, I can see past the complaint to something better for which to be grateful.

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