{"id":2035,"date":"2019-04-16T12:00:17","date_gmt":"2019-04-16T17:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/belovedlove.org\/reflections\/?p=2035"},"modified":"2019-05-17T15:36:06","modified_gmt":"2019-05-17T20:36:06","slug":"complaint-and-contentment-series-part-3-dodge-the-urge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belovedlove.org\/reflections\/2019\/04\/16\/complaint-and-contentment-series-part-3-dodge-the-urge\/","title":{"rendered":"Complaint and Contentment Series – Part 3: Dodge the Urge"},"content":{"rendered":"

Complaining is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. (Which is ironic, because I certainly do it
\nenough.) Seriously, does anyone enjoy hanging out with a complainer? I don\u2019t think so. But we
\ncan all slip in to that mindset. So how do we dodge the urge to share our woes with whoever
\nwill listen?<\/p>\n

One way we dodge the urge to complain is by remembering the negative impact it can have on others.<\/p>\n

Here are four good reasons to dodge the urge to complain:<\/h1>\n
    \n
  1. Complaining causes De-joy.<\/strong> (vs. En-joy) I can be having a great day, and thinking
    \nthings are going well, and someone can gripe about the food, or the weather, or how
    \nthings are being managed, or about another person, and suddenly my mind is drawn to
    \nwhat is wrong instead of what is right. Negative words are toxic– they dissolve our joy.<\/li>\n
  2. Complaining causes Dis-content.<\/strong> Once my mind is engaged in seeing the negative
    \ninstead of the positive, I start to notice the negative more and more. I am caught in a
    \nwhirlpool of unhappy thoughts that can spiral down into depression, hopelessness,
    \nresentment and self-pity.<\/li>\n
  3. Complaining causes De-struction.<\/strong> Complaining can destroy your attitude and devastate
    \nyour relationships. The more you complain, the more it infects your mind with negative
    \nthoughts, destroying your attitude. And the more you complain, the less meaningful
    \nrelationships you will have because:<\/li>\n
  4. Complaining causes Dis-trust.<\/strong> Not only to people dislike listening to complainers, they
    \ndistrust them. \u201cIf she complains about that person to me, what is she saying about me to
    \nthem?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Jesus said \u201cIt’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that
    \ncome out of your mouth.” Matthew 15:11 NLT<\/p>\n

    Are you fighting the temptation to complain? Dodge the urge by remembering what your
    \nnegative words can cause: de-joy, dis-content, de-struction, dis-trust.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3<\/p>\n

    <\/h1>\n

    Click below to read other posts in this series on “Complaint and Contentment:”<\/h1>\n

    Complaint and Contentment Series – Part 1: Complaining<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n