The Other Pandemic: Are You Safe?

“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. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:14-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You are standing in the break room at your office and you hear it. It’s a dull roar that never really departs. The boss is awful. That co-worker is a pain. The government is a mess. Her husband is an idiot. His wife is a fool. Their children are annoying. Almost every word that comes out of your co-workers’ mouths are complaints. No one seems to have anything good to say. Everyone is finding fault with someone. There is an epidemic of complaint. 

It’s easy to get caught up in it, isn’t it? Why is that? Because the truth is that a Christ-less world is a mess and Christ-less people are selfish and hurtful. What’s worse is that sometimes the most Christ-less people are people who claim to know Him, but their words….Oh, their words swell with the venom of complaint. 

I don’t think of myself as a complainer. I pride myself in being careful with words, but sometimes…ugh! The pandemic of complaint has touched me as well. Are you a complainer? If you are, are you willing to take a hard listen to yourself and determine to make a change? What’s wrong with complaining anyway? Why should you overcome it?

Let’s think about that for a few moments. 

You represent Christ. Let’s start here. If you identify yourself as a Christ-follower, you no longer stand for yourself. You are a representative, an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. Your words reflect, not just who you are, but who you represent. Your co-workers, your neighbors, your family, are watching you. They want to see if Jesus really makes a difference in a person’s life. How you speak can give them a glimpse of His glory. Do your words represent Christ well? “Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Proverbs 30:5) Do your words shield others or are they potshots?……Remember, “You are not your own, you were bought with a price.” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Your complaining, and mine, reflects on Jesus. Ouch! How easily do you get caught up in it? 

So, your words represent Christ and can benefit others. But how does not complaining benefit you?   

When you lay aside complaining and pick up thankfulness and praise you begin to shine with the light of Christ.When you turn the course of your words, you can turn the course of your heart. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) Bitter words are indicative of a bitterness in the spirit. When I find bitter words on the tip of my tongue, I need to swallow them (Yuk!) and ask the Holy Spirit to show me where that ugly is coming from. What is it that I am holding onto that I need to let go of? Unforgiveness? Jealousy? Pride? I want my words to overflow with the sweetness of Christ and that can only happen when I let the sweetness of Christ rule in my heart. 

When you choose not to complain, but to speak positive words, you will find your attitude changing, and as your attitude changes, you actually make more room for Jesus to shine through you. It’s a supernatural light, my friend! It doesn’t come from you. But as you decide to step out of the swirl of complaining words and rely on Christ, then His light shines brighter and brighter through you. That is a light that can’t be put out and can’t be criticized. You carry that light in you because you carry Christ and His Holy Spirit in you. Shine, Dear Friend!

Your positive words become a benefit to others, which, by the way, will be a boon to all your relationships. As your words and attitudes become safe for the people in your life you will find them growing closer to you. Isn’t that what you want? 

Your words can bring life or death.  Really! Complaining words are words that suck life out of people. Think about how you feel after you have been listening to someone complain and criticize. Do you feel encouraged and empowered? Of course not! Is that how you want others to feel after they have been in conversation with you? I am guessing that the answer is “no.” You want your words to give life, not steal it. 

Hold on to words that bring life. Put life-giving words into your heart and mind and they will flow out of your mouth. Those words start with God’s Word. When you make God’s word a part of your every day, somehow the complaining words just don’t seem to fit. Fill yourself with His words of life and your words will overflow with His life. Persevere in praise, my friend. Persevere in words of life. Fill your mouth with praise and your heart will follow, releasing His joy within you. Isn’t joy better than bitterness? Isn’t life better than death? You have an opportunity to give life with your words. Take it!

It can be really difficult to separate yourself from this other pandemic. A mask won’t protect you and as lockdowns are lifting you won‘t be able to isolate yourself from people. To protect yourself from this pandemic is going to take a different kind of effort. It’s going to take intentionality and daily choices in order to initiate that change. It may take some effort to cure the complaining. But remember that you aren’t alone. You have the Holy Spirit to empower you. You have His purifying presence every moment of every day. 

And, truth be told, I’m right there with you, Dear Friend. Let’s do this together. Let’s choose life-giving words and let the light of Jesus shine through us!

Key thought: Complaining covers up Christ-like character.  

A Scripture to consider: “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. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:14-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A YES Challenge: Take some time to prayerfully consider your word habits. Choose one of the Scriptures referenced in this post and write it out as a reminder on your phone. Set it to go off every hour or as often as you need it. Commit the verse to memory and allow the Holy Spirit to begin to make a change. 

Prayer:  Lord, sometimes I forget how powerful my words are. I want to represent You well to my friends, family and co-workers. Please forgive me for the times when I have let complaining take over. I choose to fill my heart with Your Word and my mouth with Your praise. I know that I can’t do it without Your help. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that my words will overflow with Your Word. Amen.