What's your favorite gripe or complaint? Is it gasoline prices? Maybe, its politics. Maybe it's the economy. Maybe, your spouse's snoring. Or perhaps it is your neighbor' dog. We find a lot to complain about, don't we? Some wise person said, many years ago, "It doesn't do any good to complain, nobody listens, anyhow!"
So, the question in most of your minds today is probably, "Why is he preaching on this subject if it does no good to complain?" The reason is that, while it may do no good to complain, it can do a lot of harm and waste a lot of time. So, today, I want to look at the ways it can harm you and others and what you can do about it.
The story is told about a guy who bought a parrot. The bird was supposed to have a tremendous vocabulary and know a number of clever sayings. The guy bought the bird and took it home. Next day, the guy was back in the pet store to complain. The bird hadn't said a word. The pet store manager said, "That's not unusual. Why not buy a few of the toys the bird had been used to playing with while here and put them in his cage. That should get him more comfortable with his surroundings and loosen him up." The man paid for the toys and took them home to the bird.
Two days later the guy's back at the store. "Still not talking, huh?" asked the manager. "Well, perhaps a birdbath would do the trick." The credit card was whipped out, the purchase made, and the guy was back home with his new birdbath. And, like clockwork, two days later the guy was back to complain that the bird still hadn't said one word. This time the shop owner scratched his head and said, "You know, sometimes the bird would be praised in his training and allowed to ring this bell." The guy was hesitant, but he really wanted to hear the bird talk, so he reluctantly purchased the bell.
Two days later, the guy was back in the shop. This time the pet shop owner suggested the bird was lonely. The guy was upset that he'd have to purchase another bird when the first one wasn't talking. The pet shop owner told him that, no, he wouldn't have to do that. Just buy a mirror and trick the bird into thinking he had company. You guessed it. Two days later, the man was back in the store, this time with the parrot. The parrot was dead. "What happened!" said the pet store owner, "Didn't the bird ever talk?" "Yep. Right before he died it said, 'What's the matter? Don't they sell birdseed at the pet store any more?'" Sometimes, in our hurry to solve a problem or stop someone's complaining, we overlook the obvious. It's important that we follow the Biblical teaching about living our lives. Complaining also opens the door to Satan to work his way into your lives and cause other problems such as anger, disagreements, suspicion, etc.
Have you ever noticed how people who complain a lot are sick more often than those who have a happy outlook on life? The Bible has a lot to say about that. Our text today says that you are to "Always be joyful." (Vs. 16) God knows how a person who complains a lot will be ill more often than those who are happy. So throughout His word He says over and over to be happy. The Apostle Paul told the Philippians, "Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people." (Philippians 2:14-15 NLT)
Medical studies have repeatedly proven the value of a happy outlook for a person's life. In one such study, they took three groups of volunteers and randomly assigned them to focus on one of three things each week:
The first group concentrated on everything that went wrong or that irritated them. The second group honed in on situations they felt enhanced their lives, such as, "My boyfriend is so kind and caring--I'm lucky to have him." The third group recalled recent everyday events, such as, "I went shopping."
The results showed that the people who focused on gratitude were happier. They saw their lives in favorable terms. They reported fewer negative physical symptoms, such as headaches or colds, and they were active in many ways that were good for them. Those who were grateful quite simply enjoyed a higher quality of life. Dr. Robert Emmons, of the University of California, Davis, was surprised. He said, "This is not just something that makes people happy, like a positive-thinking/optimism kind of thing. A feeling of gratitude really gets people to do something, to become more pro-social, more compassionate." That was not the case in either of the other two groups.
You see, I could sit around and complain about my eye problem and just drag myself down thinking about the negative effects it causes. I suspect I would feel more sickly and have more headaches if I did that. I prefer not to dwell on it and, instead, thank God that I am still able to function pretty much normally. And, as you know, I am rarely sick.
The Bible says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine." (Proverbs 17:22 ) Contemporary research seems to underscore this truth. Bob Hope made it to his 100th birthday, and so did George Burns. Was that a coincidence? "Maybe not," says Michael Irwin of UCLA's School of Medicine. "Laughter releases endorphins--those 'feel good' hormones suspected of boosting immunity--and that might make you more resistant to disease." "At the very least," Irwin adds, "laughter reduces stress hormones, which we know have a bad effect on immunity." So, laugh! It's a prescription for healthy living. Also, it's difficult to complain or gripe and laugh at the same time - unless you're complaining at the expense of someone else.
That's the second point to make about griping and complaining. Sometimes our complaints hurt others. It may be intentional, but is often unintentional. We start to complain about someone for doing something and don't take the time to realize how what we say might hurt that other person. Remember what happened to the Israelites when they left Egypt? They started complaining about everything. They said they would rather go back to Egypt and be slaves than wander around in the wilderness. It ended up taking them forty years to make a trip that should only have taken eleven days. In that forty years, all of the complainers died off and never got to see the Promised Land.
Our text today says, "Never stop praying." (Vs. 17) One thing you can do to keep from hurting others, is pray for them. Instead of complaining about them or griping about what they do or don't do or how they act, pray for them. Give God thanks for that person's life. You will find it very difficult to dislike and complain about someone for whom you are praying regularly. One commentator wrote, "If you cannot change something, then change the way you think about it. but don't complain about it."
I ran across these suggestions:
The thing I've discovered about complaining is, it just feels good to get something off your chest now and then. Doesn't it? The problem with that is: all that does is drag you down. If you are the one complaining, you may feel good at the moment - as you "get it off your chest." But before long, you start to have these guilt feelings. You may not know why you start to feel down or depressed or negative. The answer is that you've done it to yourself. When you start thinking negatively about others or about a situation in which you find yourself, it drags you down.
Have you ever noticed that when you do something positive, it makes you feel good? The story is told of the woman who went to the doctor because she just never felt well. There was always something wrong with her - an ache, a pain, an upset stomach, a headache. The doctor ran a number of tests and then told she needed to go home and start doing nice things for other people. She was to come back in two weeks to see him again. She never came back to see him. A few months later, he saw her at a social gathering and asked why she didn't keep the follow-up appointment. Her answer didn't surprise him. She said, "I've had so much joy in my life as I've helped others, all my aches and pains have disappeared."
Now, I know some of you may be saying, "But you don't know so-and-so." Or, "You don't know about this problem in my life. How can I be happy in a situation like this?" Our text today says, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (Vs. 18) And, I can almost hear some of you saying, "How can I be thankful for problems?"
Notice that the text says, "Be thankful in not for our circumstances." There is a big difference. I know I've said it many times before but I also know that when you are in the midst of a problem or stressed out over someone's attitude or inaction toward you, you must remember: God is not doing that to you. God allows us free will and He allows things to happen to us. Our response, says Paul, is to give thanks, to be happy, to give God praise, even in the midst of difficult times. I know it's not easy. I know it's easier to complain. I know how you love to go to a group of friends and garner their sympathy.
That's not what God wants you to do! One of my favorite passages is James 1:2-4. James writes, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4 NIV) Those trials, those difficult people, those "horror story" type situations, will help mold you to be a stronger person in Christ - unless you let them get you down.
Paul gives us the answer in the last verse of our text today. He says, "Do not stifle the Holy Spirit." (Vs.19) Other versions say "quench" rather than stifle. Both words are filled with imagery. To stifle means to muffle. In other words, don't try to ignore the Holy Spirit when He speaks to you. Don't ignore God's words and God's way, when it feels like you really just need to complain. To quench means to put out, as in pouring water on a fire. In other words, don't complain and gripe. It may put out the fire of the Holy Spirit!
The Bible says when you welcome Jesus Christ into your life, He sends the Holy Spirit to live within you. If you really let God have your life fully, the fire of the Spirit will burn in you so that you can't contain it. You will want to share what you have with others. But if you don't like that feeling, it's real easy to start complaining and finding fault with others, with yourself and with your situation. That will quench the Holy Spirit. Before long, your whole worship experience, your whole Christian experience, will become just a routine and there will be no life left in it. Don't let that happen to you!
Now, some of you know that I am not a big sports fan. I didn't watch a single play of the Super Bowl - except what was shown on the news. Are there any Super Bowl fans here today? Were you rooting for the Patriots or the Giants? As many of you know, the NY Giants scored an upset win over the New England Patriots. But the Giants had an unfair advantage - even though they were considered the underdog. Perhaps you saw it on the news a few days before the game. Their advantage was a man named Greg Gadson.
Lt. Col. Gadson, a Military Academy graduate and veteran of the first Gulf War, was seriously injured in Iraq last May. He lost both his legs. It happened that he played football at the Academy, and one of his teammates was the Giants wide receivers coach, Mike Sullivan. When Sullivan heard about his former teammate, he visited him at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The Giants were off to a dismal start, but Gadson told Sullivan that when they played in Washington, he would like to come see the game. Sullivan had Gadson come to the team hotel on Saturday night before their game with the Redskins. Gadson shared with the team about how his situation as an army officer was similar to their roles as team members. He urged them to work together and to think positively, as he was doing about his legs.
Sure, Gadson could just sit around and complain about his loss and drag everyone around him down. But he chose to be positive and his attitude spurred the Giants on to beat the Redskins. They went on to set an NFL record of 10 consecutive wins at away games, including three playoffs. And, of course, they upset the Patriots and won the Super Bowl.
You see, friends, a positive attitude can work miracles. That is what the Apostle Paul is getting at in our text. It does you no good to complain, but it can really help you to be positive and uplifting about things. Will Rogers said, "People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing." The Bible says it better: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)
Prayer:
Gracious and loving God, forgive us for our complaints. Help us to be thankful in everything,
even when we can see nothing positive in our lives. Help us to always trust you to be with us in
our deepest moments of despair, as well as in our greatest moments of joy. May we never stifle
or quench Your Holy Spirit. Rather, may we always trust Your Spirit to help in every season of
life. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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Sermon August 26, 2007
Sermon September 2, 2007
Sermon September 9, 2007
Sermon September 16, 2007
Sermon September 23, 2007
Sermon September 30, 2007
Sermon October 7, 2007
Sermon October 14, 2007
Sermon October 21, 2007
Sermon October 28, 2007
Sermon November 4, 2007
Sermon November 11, 2007
Sermon November 18, 2007
Sermon November 25, 2007
Sermon December 2, 2007
Sermon December 9, 2007
Sermon December 16, 2007
Sermon December 23, 2007
Sermon December 24, 2007
December 30, 2007 - Guest speaker, transcript not available
Sermon January 6, 2008
Sermon January 13, 2008
Sermon January 20, 2008
Sermon January 27, 2008
Sermon February 3, 2008
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If you have questions about this message or wish to contact Dr. Kile for further information, feel free to e-mail him at pastor@gulf-prairie.org