Summary: Do you have tension in your life? Take God at His word. Rather than complaining, take the next step in sharing that anxiety with God through prayer.
In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul says some pretty challenging words, “Do not argue or complain about anything.” Interestingly enough, this verse could easily be applied to our work with people in ministry. I mean, think about it, people are pretty quick to complain. People are pretty quick to argue. Yet let’s take a look at ourselves. How about me? How about you? If I were honest with myself, I complain quite a bit. Let’s take this verse at face value. Let’s say that I completely stop verbally complaining and arguing. What then? Well, if I were to be honest with myself, the complaints that I resist coming out of my mouth will probably still be brewing deep inside of my heart and soul. While I might be able to keep myself from arguing or complaining out loud, the issue could still be quite unsettled in my heart.
While it is a good thing to not verbally argue or complain, what does a follower of Christ do with that internal tension that exists in your heart and yet has not come out of your mouth? Paul addresses this exact question later on in the book where he shares, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God; and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Do you have tension in your life? Take God at His word. Rather than audibly bellyaching, which is often my first response, I challenge all of us today, take the next step in sharing that anxiety with God through prayer.