Gaylord Diaz's Blog

LIVING WITHOUT COMPLAINING: GUARD YOUR HEART

THE WORDS WE SPEAK COME FROM OUR HEART. Whatever’s in our heart will eventually show or reveal itself by the words that we speak. OUR TONGUE REVEALS OUR HEART.

• Matthew 12:34, O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
• Matthew 15:18-20a, But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. {19} For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: {20a} These are the things which defile a man.

Since our tongue speaks what’s in our heart, then, in order for us to curb our complaining tongue we first of all have to deal with our complaining heart. THE HEART IS WHERE OUR COMPLAINTS ORIGINATE.

So why does our heart complain? In Part 2 of my blog we saw that bad attitudes or dispositions incite or induce us to complain. These attitudes or beliefs reside in our heart and mind. We put them there. And IT’S THESE ATTITUDES OR BELIEFS THAT INDUCE US TO COMPLAIN whenever things don’t go our way. It’s like eating something foul. If we put rotten food in our stomach, our stomach and our whole body will react adversely to what we’ve eaten and we’ll get sick within a short matter of time. In much the same way, if we put rotten attitudes and beliefs in our heart and mind, it’ll only be a short matter of time before that rottenness shows up in the way we behave, speak, and conduct ourselves.

So let’s look at our belief system and see if we can fix the problem.

1. I DON’T WANT ANY TROUBLE!  One of the reasons why we complain is because we don’t like the things that are happening to us. Brethren, nobody likes going through trials. And that includes me! But you’ve got to face the cold, hard facts of life and reality. YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TROUBLES AND TRIALS! EVERYBODY HAS THEM. EVERYBODY GOES THROUGH THEM. AND YOU’RE NO EXCEPTION.

As Christians living on this Earth, we have been appointed unto sufferings and trials.

• John 16:33, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
• 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4, That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. {4} For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

Do you know what this promise and prophecy of God means, dear brethren? It means we’re going to have our own troubles and trials—just like the Israelites had theirs. It means life on planet Earth is not going to be a Utopia, but, shock of all shocks, we’re going to experience pains, sufferings, rejections, persecutions, deprivations, temptations, disappointments, frustrations, inconveniences, and other sorts of unwanted, undesirable, unpleasant, crucifying circumstances of life. This is what God promised us—all of us. And there’s nothing we can do to change that. Even heathens have their own troubles! Brethren, we’re not in Heaven yet. We’re still on Earth. And as long as we’re on Earth we’re going to have troubles. So get used to it! Get over it!

The Israelites, it seemed, never accepted or got used to the idea that they were going to have troubles. They were traveling in the desert. They lived for forty years in the desert. And all that time they wanted the comforts and provisions they had in Egypt. Their expectations and views of the journey didn’t match the stark, harsh conditions of the deserts through which they journeyed. They expected an Egyptian life in the desert! Naturally, they didn’t get what they had in Egypt because they weren’t in Egypt. That’s why they complained all the time they were in the desert. They complained because “the way it was” was a stark contradiction to “the way we’d like it to be.”

Brethren, don’t expect life to be a Heaven here on Earth. It’s not. The sooner you accept this fact the better off you’ll be. When “bad” things happen, remember that Jesus said they would. Things do go wrong. They break down. They wear out. Accidents happen. Bodies do age and change over time. Sicknesses, diseases, and death still ravage the land. Storms and other forms of natural disasters do occur. Stores run out of certain commodities. Prices go up. The cost of living gets higher and higher the longer you live. Everyone isn’t going to be as nice as you’d like them to be. People are going to fail and disappoint you. Your Christian brothers and sisters are going to fall short of your expectations and desires. The unregenerates of this world are going to hate and persecute you. These, and many more, are some of the unfortunate things that are going to happen to you at some time or another. So get used to it. Instead of complaining about how rotten or  how hard life is, get your heart right. Get rid of your mistaken ideas of what life here on Earth should be like. Get ready for the trials that Jesus said are coming your way.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 5. I’ll look at some more of the mistaken ideas we have that incite us to complain. I’ll treat the grouchy ouchy. You bring the Band Aid.