Grumbler or Conqueror?
Jude 1:16
These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.
George Mikes tells the story of a man in Budapest who went to his rabbi and complained, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one small apartment. What can I do?"
The rabbi answered, "Take your goat into the apartment with you." The man is totally upset when he hears this, but the rabbi insists. "Do as I say and come back in a week and thank me."
A week later the man comes back looking more distraught than before. "We cannot stand it," he tells the rabbi. "The goat is filthy. It is so nasty and smelly in our little apartment. We are all miserable!
The rabbi then tells him, "Now, go home and let the goat out. And come back in a week."
So, the man returns to the rabbi a week later, smiling and happy, saying, "Life is beautiful again. We enjoy every minute of life together now that there's no goat -- and only nine people in one apartment!"
So many of our complaints and grumbling come down to our attitude, don’t they? We complain that our coffee is too cold, then when it is too hot. How about being thankful you have coffee?
It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given. One or the other becomes a habit of life.
What is your habit? Is to complain about things you have, or don’t have? Do you whine, wishing that your life was different?
As Christians we have so much to rejoice over! We are promised eternal life in a place with no pain or sadness, in the presence of the Almighty God. We are promised that God will lead us, comfort us, and see us through this life, too.
But wait, there’s more! Paul wrote in Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” We are called to be conquerors here on earth, but you can’t conquer if all you do is complain.
It’s your choice, you can grumble or you can conquer!
Today’s Readings: Hebrews 12,13; Jude
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