Conundrum...
Last night, my beautiful wife Amber and I went to look at an apartment. We have this conundrum. The decision to move from our place or stay is what we are wrestling with. We looked at one floor plan which, despite adding nearly 100 sq. ft, seemed smaller than our current one bedroom. With the thoughts of, "Will this work if we have a child in the next year?" or, "What will guests think?" We complain about how small a place we are living in and want to move because the neighbors are too loud. We go and look for a different place and complain more about the price change. Of these questions, something came to my head as it relates to Christianity. We, as Christians, go to church with the idea that we live in a one bedroom. We complain about the size of the church; too many people, too few not enough stuff. Or, worse yet, we look to move out because the worship is too loud, or God is asking us to make too many changes that COST us what we feel is too much.
In John 15, Jesus talks about the vine and branches. He says, "If man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from me, he can do nothing!" Jesus' plan is for us to live in community with one another. As believers, living in community, and complaining about it makes us the sickly vine in the vineyard. We complain about our neighbors, complain about how much time, or money, they cost us, and expect to live lives full of promise, and purpose.
" 14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." (Philippians 2:14-15, NIV, taken from Biblegateway.com).
Complaining is a disease. It is a cancer that not only infects us with brutality. Unlike natural cancer, however, this disease can transfer to others. Eventually, one becomes two, and two become more, and more as more listen.
So the next time you are ready to complain, take 30 seconds and think about what you are doing!
Just a thought,
Pastor Sam
In John 15, Jesus talks about the vine and branches. He says, "If man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from me, he can do nothing!" Jesus' plan is for us to live in community with one another. As believers, living in community, and complaining about it makes us the sickly vine in the vineyard. We complain about our neighbors, complain about how much time, or money, they cost us, and expect to live lives full of promise, and purpose.
" 14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." (Philippians 2:14-15, NIV, taken from Biblegateway.com).
Complaining is a disease. It is a cancer that not only infects us with brutality. Unlike natural cancer, however, this disease can transfer to others. Eventually, one becomes two, and two become more, and more as more listen.
So the next time you are ready to complain, take 30 seconds and think about what you are doing!
Just a thought,
Pastor Sam
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