I must confess that a joyful spirit has been hard for me to maintain lately. It seems that once you purpose to do something good, you better be prepared to get attacked. Ever since deciding to find joy in every circumstance, I have felt prone to complain and get irritated at things that usually don't bother me. The devil has been trying so hard to make me upset and I'm afraid he has succeeded this week.
I'm going to jot down my weaknesses because you're my witness, and it's good for me to SEE how ridiculously selfish my complaints are. These are the things that have recently been getting on my nerves...
- my wedding ring broke in an unusual spot and the jewelers told me it was a manufacturers defect.
- I've been blaming my husband for things he can't fix...work schedule, finances, etc.
- The grass is turning brown due to no rain.
- We are having to endure 109 degree weather and I am stuck indoors with two restless toddlers.
- My house is a mess!
- I have misplaced an article of clothing and can't find it anywhere.
- my computer has electrical issues and constantly goes offline when I Skype with family in Reno.
- my car makes a constant ticking sound. Ian thinks it's the AC we just replaced. Fantastic!
- the cat has decided that she's a dog and now licks.
- all the college students are back in town and I have to drive even more defensively than before.
- my coffee maker broke.
- the dog snores!
- people keep asking me if my 16 month old identical girls are twins. Really?
Pathetic, isn't it? I constantly tell my children, "No whining, or we need discipline." Hmmm, guess who needs a healthy dose of discipline in my house? Me!
Satan has been filling my days with little irritants, causing my perspective to be skewed and my hunger for the Word to wane. My "gripe" list will only diminish once I become firmly grounded in the Scriptures and allow the Lord to correct my behavior. Philippians 2:14 says, "Do all things without complaining or disputing." With this truth in mind, I press on. Tomorrow is a new day and the beginning of a new week. I pray for you the same prayer that I pray for myself; that we focus on the good that we've been blessed with and remain thankful & joyful in spirit!
"...the joy of the Lord is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10
When we are weak, we need to draw from the Lord's strength and recapture our joy. It takes continual effort. Friend, I urge you to keep this verse in your armory and use it when you, like me, feel tempted to complain.
Find Joy in Him, Beloved!
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