"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky." —Philippians 2:14-15
I started a job a few months ago as a cashier at a store near where I live. Being that I'm a cashier, I stand on my feet all day long. One day, all of a sudden, I rolled my ankle, and it turned out I sprained it pretty good. Thankfully, I didn't lose my job, but in order to heal, I was required to stay off of my feet and sit down almost all day. Because of this, my store put me in a different department, one where I could sit on a stool and answer the phones all day long. I did it for a day, and I have to say that I hated it!
I wanted to be on my feet, working alongside my cashier co-workers, talking to our customers, and checking out their merchandise, but I quickly found out that God had other plans. During the first week that I was working at my new location, I had been able to accomplish training that I would not have been able to had I been on the registers.
I was also able to take a necessary survey in order to be considered for a promotion at work that I might not have otherwise had time to do. I also made new friends in my new area, and I learned a ton of new information that would help me when I returned to my regular job duty. In the midst of my injury, God had worked it out that I would gain more good than bad.
I'll be honest, the first thing I did after my first day sitting and answering phones all day was complain. I actually tried to switch to a different department but was told no. God had other plans.
What I've learned through all this is that what the enemy intended for evil, God used—and meant—for my good (Genesis 50:20). I also learned, as I've been learning for months now, not to complain.
I once read a quote that basically said, "If you complain, you think you know better than God." When you complain about the weather, you're saying that you could've done the forecast for the day better than God. Or when you complain about school work, you're complaining about an education that God gave you so that you could learn and become knowledgeable for Him.
It is so important to think before you speak, especially when it's a complaint. God is always working behind the scenes in your life, and He is making sure everything is lined up exactly how He wants it. When you complain about a circumstance, He hates that. That's why it says in Philippians 2 to do everything without complaining or arguing. When we do this, we not only affirm our faith and trust in Him, but we "shine among [others] like stars in the sky" (v. 15). We stand out among our peers, classmates, coworkers, and everyone else we are around—perhaps even our own family members!
When we don't complain, people will see something different in us. When we have a grateful attitude that reflects and trusts in our Lord, we will ultimately bring Him glory and may even help people to believe in Christ! God knows what He's doing, and we show that we believe that when we don't complain. Our non-complaining attitude expresses that we trust His plans are perfect and that everything, even the finest detail in our lives, is under His perfect, loving control. Let's gladly accept God's plans for our lives and worship Him because of it!
"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." —Proverbs 19:21.
Stephanie is a 21-year old with a passion to see believers grow and become passionate in their relationship with the Lord. She is a lover of sweat tea, sunshine, and the freedom that comes from Christ. In her free time, she can be found singing, playing guitar, writing or jamming out to Hawk Nelson, Phil Wickham, and worship music. Her dreams are to become a worship leader and a published author, while living a life full of fun and joy that comes from the Lord.
