Praise Instead of Complain

Sometime last fall, I got in a major funk. I felt sad, overwhelmed, burned out, and like hope had disappeared from my life as well as from some of the lives of those around me who were going through a difficult season.

I felt like God was a million miles away. I prayed, but I felt like my prayers were disappearing into a void of nothing. I was starting to get angry. I didn't feel like Jesus was walking with me throughout whatever it was I was walking through. I had prayed and prayed, but nothing seemed to change.

One day, I laced up my tennis shoes, angry, and saying, "Okay, I am going to walk my driveway, distraction free, and figure this thing out." So I had the "It's me not you" talk with Jesus.

With every step on the gravel road, I poured my heart out to the Father telling him about all of my woes. Every last one of them pleading with Him to reveal to me what in the world was going on.

And in His corrective, but still small voice, I heard, "Child, I can do a lot more with your praises than I can your complaints."

Gulp.

I had created a habit of complaining instead of praising God. Sure, I thanked Him daily. But I brought him problems more than I truly praised Him. Can he handle my complaints? Absolutely. But it's my heart that can't. I, not God, was positioning myself away from Him with the laundry list of grumblings every day.

If we find ourselves living in the valley of complaints instead of the mountaintop of praises, we are going to feel the effects.

Slowly, I started to change my mindset and every time I caught myself complaining, I tried to turn it into a praise.

Some prayers looked like this:

"Father, thank you someone at work got a better opportunity due to the training we gave them. I know you will provide for us, as well."

"Lord, our roof is leaking, but we are grateful we have a roof to fix."

"Jesus, thank you for the opportunity to depend on you and grow closer to you while we walk out the shipping delays."

I started to feel better. It took awhile, but gradually, my complaints turned to praises in the presence of the One who holds the keys to the Kingdom and who gives me authority to use those keys, as well.

In 2023, may we know that it's okay to acknowledge our problems, but let's make sure we are acknowledging that our God is ALWAYS much bigger. So let's magnify His name throughout the year.

Praise Him!