Stop Complaining, Start Praising

Why does it seem so easy to complain? To focus on bad news, rather than good? To gossip about people behind their back rather than give them a compliment? To dwell on products that fall short rather than those that work well?

Addressing this tendency in a recent book, social media expert Pete Blackshaw explains that people are far more likely to take action when they are dissatisfied. While customers who are satisfied may tell a few people, those who are angry tell many more! Today, more than ever, consumers feel empowered to share their opinions and experiences through various social platforms.

We can find ourselves with the same attitude in our spiritual lives. Grumbling about the weather. Complaining about work or other people. Focusing on obstacles rather than the times God has helped us. Like the ancient Israelites, we are prone to complain rather than thank the Lord for the victory he has promised.

But the Bible is full of reminders (and even commands) to praise and thank God. We are told to remember all that He had done for us: “I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old” (Psalm 77:11). We are to “remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth” (Psalm 105:5).

We are to “enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4). We are to bless Him with our entire being, never forgetting all that He has done for us (Psalm 103:2).

This praise and thanksgiving helps us keep our lives in perspective and see God’s perspective on the world. Instead of being complainers, we can be praisers—declaring our confidence in Him rather than complaining about our problems.