I’m pretty sure you can relate when I say that there have been some days at work that were not so great. Maybe you just had a rough day, it could have been super busy, maybe you didn’t get to take a lunch break or maybe you just weren’t feeling well. Whatever the reason, I get it because I’ve been there and man oh man it’s hard to stop complaining. This is something that I’ve been having to work on because although it may seem innocent, is it really?
As a Christian, part of my job is to live more like Christ. Not that I’ve finished reading the entire bible, but I have never come across a scripture of Jesus complaining about His work, and I’m pretty sure I won’t. In fact, Jesus always maintains a good attitude. Complaining has become such a “normal” part of our daily lives that I don’t think we even realize when we are doing it. I truly believe that what we feel, think and how we act, sets us up for how our day goes. For instance, if we complain about stupid little things, then we are going to keep encountering stupid little things to keep complaining about. If our mood is set off by something that made us annoyed or angry, then we are going to keep dealing with that mood all day. So instead of complaining, try looking on the bright side of things. So how is complaining dangerous? Well, as Christians, we could actually be making Christianity look bad. Why would anyone be encouraged to form a relationship with our God if we appear to be miserable by complaining all the time???
Here are couple questions you should ask yourself. What kind of example am I setting as a Christian? Am I causing confusion about what it means to be a Christian with my words and actions? How would Jesus handle this situation? Then remind yourself that your job, what you do for a living, where you are placed and why you are there are all for bigger purposes than we are aware of. Something that helps me a lot is if I pretend Jesus is physically right in front of me. I am a nurse, so during times of caring for difficult patients, I’ve just pretended to be taking care of Jesus instead. This has allowed me to continue to serve kindly without complaining, not to mention, that’s exactly what Jesus does (serves kindly without complaining). I truly believe that I am assigned as a nurse to certain patients for reasons God only knows, which is another reason not to complain (God knows what He’s doing). You know that if Jesus was at your job you would be on your best behavior, going above and beyond without complaining. Okay, so then do it, it’s actually biblical! Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people Colossians 3:23. Stop complaining!
