“In everything you do, stay away from complaining.” Philippians 2:14 NLT
“Complaining can quickly become toxic emotionally, socially, and spiritually.”
My thoughts today are that “compliments work better than complaints.”
Things will not be as you like; people will not always do as you want; life will not be exactly as you dreamed. Get over it. Complaining will not change any of that. It doesn’t work and is a bad habit to acquire; yet it is so easily done. It’s a habit that doesn’t really do much good for you or anyone else. Better to change something that is displeasing to you than merely to complain about it, especially to someone that can’t do anything to change things. Some complain loudly and to anyone who will listen. But most complainers just grumble under their breath to no one in particular and to anyone in general. Usually nobody hears it that needs to, but inevitably some innocent bystander always does. Is anyone better for it? Is anything different or changed really?
People often do so not so much to be heard nor expecting to see anything truly change; it’s often just a the bad habit of grumbling. The Bible calls it murmuring, kind of an under your breath unhappy mumbling. “They murmured (complained/grumbled) in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord, therefore He lifted up His hand against them.” Psalm 106:25-26 KJV.
People avoid complainers. To stop being avoided, stop complaining. Who would seek out the company of someone who seems often dissatisfied and always critical about anything and anyone? Why would a happy person long remain in their company or even vicinity? After awhile, people will stop listening to your complaints, really listening. Negative comments are soon tuned out, and eventually just ignored.
Complaining can quickly become toxic to you emotionally, socially, and spiritually. “I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed.” Psalm 77:3NKJV. It does no good, and certainly does neither you nor anyone else any good. A critical spirit is not very pretty on anyone, and contributes nothing to the situation. I think maybe complaining could be described as the adult version of a child’s whining, like a screeching fingernail on a chalkboard! (I’ll bet you shivered just reading and imagining that; I did when I typed it.)
Here’s the problem: every time you repeat something, true or not, you reinforce your belief in its being true, even if it’s not. That works positively as well as negatively. Say something enough times without being challenged or corrected, and each time you believe it more firmly. Complaining is like that. Every time you voice your complaint, it seems more justified and accurate in the speaking of it.
If you want to be a happier person, you have to clean up your act. See Philippians 4:8-9 NIV. Compliment rather than complain; you will be pleasantly surprised at how much happier you will be, and how much more cooperative people around you will be as well. A compliment is finding something to praise; a complaint is your finding something to criticize. Which do you think works best? Stop looking for what’s wrong and look instead for what’s right, speak of what you do like instead of what you don’t. Complimenting, when sincere, encourages and edifies others; complaining discourages, you as well as others.
My prayer for you today is to be complimentary, and be happier with your life and relationships.