As I think of my“glass half-full” mentality from the past, I also realized I’ve spent A LOT of time complaining. A matter of fact, I STILL complain more than I want to! In fact, I’ve always felt justified in my complaining, thinking I was “lamenting” like King David in the Bible, then I read this excerpt from Ann Voskamp’s book called One Thousand Gifts, were she summarizes the difference between lamenting and complaining: “Lament is a cry of belief in a good God, a God who has His ear to our hearts, a God who transfigures the ugly into beauty. Complaint is the bitter howl of unbelief in any benevolent God in this moment, a distrust in the love-beat of the Father’s heart.”
Psalm 121:1-3 (NLT)
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
So, What… for This Week?
Take a moment and ask God, “What do I do when I’m in pain?” You can start asking the Holy Spirit to teach you to lament and not complain. You can find encouragement like King David in the Psalm above! When David looks to his flesh to answer life’s questions, he ends up more discouraged, but when he looks UP, he finds HOPE! Where are YOU looking today? Are you complaining and thinking YOU should have the answers, or are you lamenting with your eyes up?