Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 (NIV)

No one has to tell us to complain. It is a natural fruit of the flesh, but we frequently need to be reminded to give thanks. God answers prayers, but He doesn’t answer complaints. I believe that all complaining does is quench the Spirit, and to quench means to stop or to extinguish.

We are to do everything without grumbling or arguing, according to Philippians 2:14 (NIV). The next verse, Philippians 2:15, states that if we will eliminate these bad habits from our lives, we will be seen like stars shining out brightly in a warped and crooked generation (NIV). Everywhere I go, I hear people complaining, but when I meet someone who is thankful, I think, That person is probably a Christian.

Can you be inconvenienced without complaining? If any of us could make it through one entire day without complaining about anything at all, it might fall into the category of a miracle. Complaining seems to be our default setting for anything that is even mildly inconvenient.

I strongly believe that gratitude is a form of spiritual warfare. We can defeat Satan if we are thankful to God and say so, but we cannot defeat him with complaining and grumbling.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me replace every complaint with gratitude. Teach me to stay joyful and thankful in all things, knowing You’re working for my good even in inconvenience, amen.

http://www.joycemeyer.org