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Are You a Whiner?

Ever be around someone who drags you down?
You feel exhausted just listening to them!

When Israel traveled through the wilderness, their first response to problems was to whine. 
I’m thirsty.
The water’s too bitter!
We’re tired of manna.
Sound like a whining toddler!

[Sometimes I get like that.
Nothing looks good to eat. 
What do I have to wear?
Why can't everyone do it my way.
I've become a whiner!]

Know the simple manners  we teach our children—“Please” and “Thank you”?
Israel forgot them.
Know where it led them?

How long will this wicked assembly keep complaining about Me? I’ve heard the complaints of the Israelis that they’ve been murmuring against ME. So tell them that as long as I live—consider this to be an oracle from the Lord—as certainly as you’ve spoken right into My ears, that’s how I’m going to treat you. Your corpses will fall in this wilderness—every single one of you who has been counted among you, according to your number from 20 years and above, who complained against Me. You will certainly never enter the land about which I made an oath with my uplifted hand to settle you in it, except for Jephunneh’s son Caleb and Nun’s son, Joshua.  Numbers 14:27-30.

They never entered the Promised Land. 
They saw God’s miracles, but refused to thank Him.

In Romans 1, we see the spiral of sin. It gets darker as it gets deeper.
How does it start?
Ungratefulness.

For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21.

Wonder why society is so bad?
It starts with people not giving thanks.

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 2 Timothy 3:1-5

The list is long. 
Ungratefulness seems like such an insignificant thing.
Just a trite “thank you” over our food, before we eat.
Gives an appearance of godliness—of manners, but it doesn’t reach our heart. 

Children don’t appreciate what their parents do.
They feel entitled. 
They expect the good, not as a gift, but as a demand.
They are ungrateful.

Teach your children gratefulness.
Start when they begin to talk.
And persist in reminding them that it is important.
They will stand out in this world who has forgotten to be thankful.

Thankfulness must be disciplined to become a habit, a response.
Even then, we must work to make it reach our heart.
Why? 
Because when we forget to be thankful, we forget God.

When one of my boys had trouble with his disposition, I required him to tell me ten things which he was thankful—every time he complained.
I accepted the obvious—food, shelter, for the first time, but he could not repeat his list the next time he complained.
He had to think of different things.
It started getting more detailed, and required more thought. Not just a trite list.
It started changing his attitude.
He stopped complaining.
 

It works for me, too. When I start getting anxious, or fretful, or discontent, or...
As times get harder is there less reason to give thanks?
Just the opposite.
We should see what we had. And lost.
Freedoms are taken away.
Being with our loved one, who may be dying.
Meeting at church.
Singing.
Having family get-togethers (without neighbors reporting you.)

We see what’s important, when it’s no longer there.
And whine about the loss!

God tells us to remember Him.
When we do, those things—those important things—won’t be forgotten.
And we will be grateful for what we have now.

Anxious about the future?
Give thanks to God.
Those cares of this world will lift.
And we will show God honor.

Displaying all 3 comments
Sonya November 25, 2020

Anne, all of us long for what we lost, rather than thank for what we have. Isn't that being human?
Glad you are able to have your family close.
Do pray for those who can't during this season. It is cause for many tears.

Esther, what an excellent game and educational! Mine were merely for survival—mine.
I spoke of a book we read together back in my Christmas letter of 2009, The Glad Game—the poor minister and his daughter received a care package from their supporting church. The little girl was hoping for a doll. Instead she got a crutch. The father seeing her disappointment said, "We can be glad that we don't need the crutch." And thus the "Glad Game" started. When her father died and she went to live with her great aunt, she taught everyone in her community the "Glad Game." It changed how they lived.
Being Thankful is a choice (sometimes hard to make), but will change how you live.

So appreciate your sharing!

Anne Egli November 24, 2020

I've been reading so much lately about being thankful, grateful. Do you think the Lord is speaking to me??? I have so very much to be thankful for and I do think of that often, then something strikes me wrong and I forget. So enjoy your articles. I think of you so much, had planned to call you this last week, don't know what happened. Right now I'm swamped with getting ready for Thanksgiving, 21 here for dinner and 15 for overnight. So glad Jeremy left his bed here instead of taking it like planned, so have another queen size.
I pray the Lord is giving you His peace as you adjust to everything there. God bless, Anne

Esther November 24, 2020

I love your tactic to deal with whining with your son! I will have to try that one.

With small children when we are waiting in the car or some other such whine-inducing situation we play the Thankfulness Alphabet game...each person takes turns saying something they are thankful for that starts with the sequential letters of the alphabet. It really does help to adjust the overall mood!

I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
               Sonya Contreras

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Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.

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