Stop Complaining and Start Living

Recently I was trying to encourage my friend and found myself writing what should have been taken as rude although it was sent with love. I told her in my cold email, “Stop complaining and start living”.

I had listened as she poured her heart out to me about her new life.  I couldn’t believe that she thought she had problems. She and her husband had recently moved when he started a new job. The move had been a financial blessing to them and her once struggling marriage was greatly improved. She had time and freedom to pursue some of her own dreams and goals in ministry. As she shared about being bored with too much time on her hands, I couldn’t believe she was miserable with her new freedom. I thought, “Girl, what are you complaining about? Can’t you see this is a blessing? You now have time to pursue your dreams?” Before I knew it, I was opening my mouth to give unsolicited advice. Then just to make the point I followed up in an email, “Stop complaining and start living.”

Although I was wrong, my heart truly was in the right place toward her. I had listened for years as she had expressed her desire for more time and freedom to pursue her dreams and now she had it. I was just wrong to give her my unsolicited thoughts so bluntly.

A couple of weeks later she called me, which is amazing and told me that my words had really spoken to her. To be honest, I didn’t recall what I had said to her until she reminded me. I listened as she repeated them back to me and realized these were the same words that the Lord had been speaking to my heart.

Perhaps it was His will for me to share with my friend too. Perhaps it was not, but when she repeated those same words back to me, I was suddenly very aware that I had been ignoring the still quiet voice of God as He had whispered to me, “Stop complaining and start living”.

When you are an imperfect perfectionist like me, it is so easy to make excuses. But in His love and patience, God is showing me how to “stop complaining and start living”

1. Give praise to the Lord with a grateful heart. Tell Him how much you appreciate Him and the good things in your life. Be very specific like the old hymn, “Count your many blessings; name them one by one”.

2. Give praise to others in your life. Tell them how much you appreciate and value them. At first specific praise can seem phony when you are out of practice but with lots of practice you will begin to get more comfortable.

3. Guard your thoughts. Every word spoken and every action we choose first started in our mind. Avoid negative conversation and choose to spend time with people who build others up rather than tear others down. This may mean walking away when friends, family or coworkers are complaining or gossiping. It may also mean turning off the television.

4. Learn to forgive. Jesus paid the price for each of our sin. If the Lord can forgive you and me then we should chose to forgive our selves and others when we fail. Holding on to un-forgiveness will only hinder us in living our life pleasing to the Lord and also ourselves.

5. Feed your soul. Spend time daily in prayer alone with the Lord and reading the Bible. Begin to read books that inspire and motivate you to live with passion and purpose. Listen to the testimonies of God’s faithfulness in the lives of others. Listen to stories that encourage and motivate.

6. Take time each day to do something that brings you personal fulfillment. If you are limited in your time, start small and make gains in a big way one step at a time through consistently running the race in the direction to reach your goals.

7. Take time to play and enjoy life. Let the fun begin. Learn to laugh again if you have lost laughter. Spend time listening to children laugh on a playground. Let the silly out and don’t always be so serious.

8. Take care of your physical body. As we exercise, eat right, drink plenty of water and get rest we will have the energy to live the life we are called to live. Remember, our body is the temple of God. Stop criticizing the handiwork of the Lord. The Master Designer thinks you are awesome.

It is in the balance of life that we can reach our dreams and still have time to smell the roses along the way.