daily java

Daily Java: 

 Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. (Philippians 2:14-16)

We have become a complaining society. Everything offends us and nothing seems to be right. In the right circles, complaining can stop progress in its tracks.

At the mall, listening to people talk, much of what they say is complaint. Much of what I read online is complaint. At church, there is often a culture of gentle griping. Nothing big, no real insurrections, just the tone that nothing is right.

After a bit, it erodes the soul.

I had a fairly decent job back in the early 70’s, selling advertising for an FM radio station. That was back when FM stations were rare and for the most part played easy listening, or Muzak kind of music. Strings, orchestras, Montavoni plays the hits of Frankie Laine – that kind of thing.

In fact there were only 3 FM radio stations in all of Odessa, TX, a city of well over 100,000 people. And one of those was a college station that played oddball rock, different stuff.

The other of the three played modern rock (now classic oldies), but the owner didn’t like it, so his morning show consisted of him griping about what he played. He especially hated Frank Zappa, for some reason.

The sales job I had wasn’t bad, but I did work for a guy of questionable ethics. The other salesman constantly pointed that out and before long, I lost the job. Basically, he griped me out of a job. That was because the more he griped, the more I looked at what he was griping about. Before long, I saw nothing good in the job.

At church, when people complain, it kills the church, just like it kills society. People cannot handle negativity.

The same goes with arguing. I have always hated it when people say that they are going to play the Devil’s Advocate. No, thank you. That never does good. Take the opposite side if you want to, but the one thing I do not want to be identified with is the devil. After all, the name Satan meant obstructer or opposer (Numbers 22:22, 1 Samuel 29:4, Psalms 109:6).

And the apostle Paul said plainly to stay away from foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels (2 Timothy 2:23). He also said, in Titus 3:9: avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.
In other words shut up the complaining and the arguing. There is little that hurts a minister and his work more than that. As Paul says in the verse above, complaining and arguing are not only counterproductive, but it also undoes all the pastor or teacher is trying to do.

I have decided in my life that I will not argue or complain. There are too many other good things to do.

There is an old song that says, Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with you. Let the complaining and arguing stop with you.