Do you recall this post where I wrote of my decision to give up COMPLAINING for Lent? Well, today you have part 2. I had no plans to write a part 2 post, but it seems the Holy Spirit is taking a jackhammer to my heart in regard to this issue. Writing about this keeps me accountable, not only to God, but to you.
I feel like I have been doing pretty well with ceasing the verbal complaining. Sure, there has been a time or two that I have heard complaints pour forth from my mouth before I caught them. Thankfully, the Spirit’s work in my heart allows me to recognize complaining and stop it. Hence, today’s post.
Last week, we had a propane leak at our home….again. The first one was about 10 days ago. We thought it had been fixed. Apparently not. Greg discovered this leak around 7:30 in the evening. The propane company came out and worked on it, and we were in bed by 9pm. Around 10pm, Greg threw back the covers and proclaimed that he could still smell gas in the house. I have the worst sense of smell ever, so I smelled nothing. Up Greg got, turned off the propane at the tank, opened the garage doors downstairs, opened the upstairs doors, and placed fans in both locations in order to push the apparently noxious smell out. To say I was not happy at being woken up is a bit of an understatement.
I put on my sweats and wandered about the house mumbling and grumbling, yes, COMPLAINING, under my breath and in my head. After about 15 minutes of this, the Holy Spirit gently smacked me around and said, “You are complaining. Even though no person hears it, I HEAR IT.”
STINK! I knew He was right. Although the words of complaint were not uttered aloud, they were stewing around in my heart and brain. Philippians 2:14 does NOT say, “Do all things without complaining OUTLOUD.” Rather it says, “Do all things without complaining.” Period.
Outloud or in my heart, complaining is complaining. Help me, Jesus. I am afflicted with a spirit of complaining. Once again, I was moved to confess my sin, and ask the Lord to help me remove complaining from my heart and mouth. He also reminded me that my husband was right in making sure he got the gas out of the house before we went to sleep.
I think I need to tattoo Philippians 2:14 on the back of one hand, and Psalm 19:14 on the back of the other.
May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NLT)
Are the words of your mouth and the thoughts of your heart pleasing to Jesus?
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Linking up today with Jennifer Lee at #TellHisStory.
