For some reason I was recently thinking about all the things in life I have to complain about. I hate whiners, even the ones who have real reasons to bitch, and I've never really complained (publicly) about anything. I've known so many people who do nothing but complain about everything either to get attention, or find people who agree, or sometimes for no obvious reason at all. But I took a step back from myself just now, looked around, and noticed that if anyone should be complaining, it's me. I don't want to write a whiney post about all the complaints I have, but I am instead going to use them as examples of why people shouldn't complain.

    My apartment sucks. A lot. The windowsill in the second bedroom is rotting out, there's mold in the walls next to my bed, most of the appliances in the kitchen are close to useless, the heater runs 24/7 through the winter keeping my apartment at 90 to 100 degrees all winter long, and through the summer there's more spiders in, on, and around the place than you could possibly imagine (EEK!). I could write a book! But I won't. Why? Because the reason I'm living in a place like this is my fault. If I had saved my money, rather than spent it, while I was still living at home, I could've been in a very nice apartment, or a fairly decent house, at this point. My mistake; lesson learned.

    My car is in far worse shape than my last car (which I could've gotten $4000 for, but traded in for $100; another terrible mistake). My dad had to buy me new tires, because the ones it had were within 30 miles of blowing out, the mass airflow sensor is "experiencing some blow-by" sucking all of the oil out of the engine, and sending it out through the exhaust system making it rattle quite loudly, the center console is totally busted (which is a huge pain in the butt), the glove box (which houses my proof of insurance) will no longer open, the key hole to open the trunk doesn't work, and the upholstery is absolutely filthy. I could write a book! But I won't. Why? Because when I was looking to get into a different car, I got really excited when I found this one and completely overlooked all of it's faults in my own impatience. I wanted a 5-speed Jetta more than anything in the world, and I had finally found one at a price I could afford. If I had taken a second to think, or even a second to look the car over, I wouldn't have made the terrible mistake of buying it. My mistake; lesson learned.

    I hate my job. Each and every day is absolutely the same, my back is beginning to hurt badly, I'm fighting to keep things normal while working 12-hour nights, I'm barely making ends meet and my job security is headed in a very negative direction. We're losing hours, we're losing money, and we're no doubt headed for disaster. I could write a book! But I won't. Why? I was young, and still living at home when I first started this job, and the level of income I was drawing was absolutely massive, given the fact that all my previous jobs were part time, $100-$200 a week jobs. It was a temporary gig, at first, but when was offered full time and decided to take it, rather than going back to college, was when things took a turn. It was great, for a while, but when I moved out of my parents house, and things began to unfold as they are now, I realized that my income wasn't as massive as I thought it was, and that I had royally screwed myself by taking on this job over college. If I hadn't been so stupid, I could've been out of college and into the real world with a real job by now. Can't complain; my mistake; lesson learned.

    Do you see how constant complaining will keep you from understanding just how your complaints came to be? Philippians 2:14 says, "Do everything without complaining or arguing." Sure, I could whine to everybody I came across just how bad off I am, and maybe they would tell me how dumb apartment management companies are, or how evil used car salesmen are, or how greedy CEO's spit on the little guy to put money in their own pockets. But what would any of that help? If you spend your life complaining and seeking out those who can agree you'll end up nowhere, and you may in fact worsen your situation. It's important that we do everything in our power to get ourselves into the situation we want to be in, and figuring out the real reason behind your being in a terrible situation is the only way to get out of it. If it's your mistake, take it as a lesson and fix the problem.

by vwagenjetta

As you read this, please consider the following quote:
"We probably wouldn't worry about what people think of us if we [only knew] how seldom they do." - Olin Miller

    I've noticed a type of fear in some of my closest friends that is holding them back from living full lives, and  recent events have inspired me to come out and say something about it. The fear I'm talking about is that of offending others, and of others' judgement. People with issues such as these are so worried about others being hurt or upset by their actions, or even their presence (amongst a specific crowd), that they will avoid even the most enjoyable of situations because of it.

    There have been times when I've let some things slide in my life because I didn't want to offend those involved (simply to avoid unwanted or unnecessary conflict). I believe all of us have at one time or another. Avoiding embarrassment is human nature. But going out of your way to avoid any and all embarrassment, or judgement, or offense is a pathetic way to live. Really pathetic! Here's why...

#1 - It's selfish. When we hold our tongue instead of speaking up, or keep away from situations where people might think less of us for whatever reason, we no longer care about helping others move forward in life. We only care about dodging conflict and keeping things comfortable for ourselves.

#2 - It's cowardly. The refusal to voice our opinion regardless of who might be offended shows our lack of courage. It reveals the ugly truth that we allow others to intimidate us into submission, and basically lead our lives for us. Proverbs 29:25 says, "Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety." If we flee from, or dodge, the judgement of others rather than trust in the Lord's safety, we are not at all living in the way God calls us to live. Isaiah 44:9b says, "Those who [speak up for sinners] are blind; ignorant to their own shame." I believe that not speaking up against sin is no different than speaking on its behalf.

#3 - It's dumb. Offending GOD, whose judgement is far more important than that of mere humans, is a lot worse than offending a friend, a community, or an individual; especially someone you don't know, and will probably never see again. Offending God has eternal ramifications. THAT should concern us more than someone's precious little feelings getting ruffled (yours included).

#4 - It's arrogant. You are a sinner. I am a sinner. Everyone is a sinner. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Bad company corrupts good morals"; avoiding contact with someone for fear of being seen with a sinner, however, is not at all what this verse is talking about. You shouldn't be afraid to be seen with someone who's "sinful lifestyle choices" you don't approve of because you're no less of a sinner than they are. Just because you sin less, doesn't mean you're sinless.

    Here's my point. Don't let fear (or low self esteem) hold you back from living out God's purpose for your life. Proverbs 19:21 says, "You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail." God's plan for your life cannot be avoided and putting it off will only give you less time to fulfill it in the end. Be bold in your faith, avoid and speak out against sin, and trust the Lord's judgement rather than fearing the world's.

by vwagenjetta

    There are some who say that the most hypocritical people are those who sit in  church every Sunday. This relates to the Brennan Manning quote used by DC Talk (and War of Ages), "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is simply what an unbelieving world finds unbelievable." Although some believe this statement goes against everything Jesus taught, I do believe it holds some truth in today's world.

    In today's society, being the kind of Christian God wants you to be can be extremely difficult. Around every corner is an opportunity, if not a legitimate reason, to sin. Sex has lost it's sacred value and become an acceptable pastime for "people who love each other" (see 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8); in some circles knowing the personal lives of others (e.g. celebrities) as well as you know your own has become necessary to retain a feeling of acceptance, or popularity (see Romans 1:29); and sharing the word of God with a non-believer will often get you the response, "religion is so yesterday." That being said, I believe Christianity, in its intended form, is the most difficult faith to be a part of in this, the age of "absolute freedom."

    I myself have been a hypocritical Christian. I've engaged in premarital sex, drunkenness, lying, cheating, and stealing, among other things. I do of course try my best to stay away from such things, and the weight of the guilt that follows them is crushing to say the least. God forgives our sins, but that doesn't give us a reason to keep on sinning, as so many so-called Christians do. Sins are mistakes, and like any "mistake maker" (sinner), Christians can learn from their mistakes, or sins, and reap the benefits of the guilt that follows by making sure the same mistake is not made twice. Suffice to say, I have learned my lessons, and I'm extremely thankful for God's forgiveness of my sins.

    Just like every human being in existence, I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). I've done things so horrible in the eyes of God I deserve eternal death in Hell. But thanks to Jesus, who died in my place, God can forgive my sins, washing my slate as clean as freshly fallen snow (Isaiah 1:18). People, Christians even, seem to have lost the ability to truly forgive. We've all reluctantly said "I forgive you" to someone, only to hold a grudge against them afterward. Matthew 6:14-15 says "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if your refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." This verse alone proves that truly forgiving others is a very important part of being a Christian.

    Sometimes truly forgiving someone over and over for the same thing can get annoying. Sometimes truly forgiving someone seems out of the question because we feel they've wronged us in a way that couldn't possibly be forgiven. Sometimes we reluctantly forgive someone only because we're forced to. There are many ways we can avoid truly forgiving people. But no matter how many times we have to forgive someone, no matter how unforgivable we feel the sin to be, as Christians we must forgive and forget in order to get on with our lives, and draw nearer to God. Because if we don't forgive others, it would be hypocritical to ask for forgiveness ourselves.