Brothers, here is what I know… I am much softer than I like to imagine. My threshold for discomfort is embarrassingly low. BUT, seeing this is itself mercy. God reveals weakness only to strengthen it. We cannot lead our households, churches, or teams if we insist on complaining. We cannot disciple men into strength if we remain spiritually fragile.

“A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of oxen. The axles groaned and creaked terribly, when the oxen turning around thus addressed the wheels, ‘Hey there, why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we – not you – ought to cry out!’ Those complain first in our churches who have the least to do. The gift of grumbling is largely dispensed among those who have no other talents, or who keep what they have wrapped up in a napkin.” — C.H. Spurgeon

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I had a moment last week that I’m not proud of. Nothing catastrophic. Nothing tragic. But it ruined me. A tiny disruption, and there I was, irritated, annoyed, muttering [cursing even] under my breath.

It hit me later how fragile I am. How easily I’m inconvenienced. It is deeply troubling how soft, entitled, and privileged I can be. Honestly, I often wonder why God even uses me…

To counteract wallowing in my own pity, I sat down and wrote out ten truths, ten theological sledgehammers that aim to kill my complaining spirit and reforge a spirit of gratitude. As we go into this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I thought maybe they could help you as well:

1. God Commands Me Never to Complain [Phil. 2:14].

Complaining is like spiritual leaking; every word I grumble drains the strength God intends for me to walk in. A seasoned soldier once said, “The battlefield is too loud for whining.” Same with the Christian life—we’re marching, not murmuring.

2. God Commands Me to Give Thanks in Every Circumstance [1 Thes. 5:18].

Thankfulness is heaven’s language; if I’m not speaking it, I’m speaking the wrong dialect. Corrie Ten Boom thanked God for the fleas in her concentration camp as she discovered the guards avoided her barrack because of them, allowing Bible study to flourish.

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