No More Complaining!
 Exodus 16, Philippians 2
Luke 6:45: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

Exodus 14:10-12: “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them.  They were terrified and cried out to the Lord.  They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?  Didn’t’ we say to you in Egypt, “Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

When the world is all about us or when we become uncomfortable in a situation, we end up complaining. If we are not careful, we will develop a lifestyle of complaining.  The issue we are complaining about is not the core problem.  The problem is that we have taken our eyes off God and His goodness and are focusing on self.

Philippians 2:14-16: “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…”

We will overcome complaining when we change the way we view the world.  What is stored in our hearts is revealed in our actions.  As Luke 6:45 tell us we need to store up good things in our heart so it will overflow from our mouth and bless others.  Studies show that when we continually complain, it becomes written on our brain and we become chronic complainers.  When we expect life to be bad, that will be what happens.  Instead, we should fill our hearts with love and hope and the truth that God is in control.

Three things to do to overcome complaining:

Pray. When you are tempted to complain, take it to God (not others) and pray about it.
Ask God to change the situation, or change you. Philippians 2:17: “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming for your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.” The center of Paul’s story is God and not himself.
When tempted to complain, look to someone who doesn’t and could. Philippians 1:12: “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.”  Paul’s chains advanced the Gospel.  He could have complained about his situation but instead saw the good that God was bringing out of a bad situation.