If your experience is like mine, you likely know people who are chronic complainers. They seem to be always venting about something that went badly or someone who did them wrong. Negativity is their default mode; their glass is half empty.
Their nearly constant negativity makes them hard to be around. Their complaining attitude can be contagious and if we’re not careful they can rub off on us.
This is in sharp contrast to people who are generally positive, who see the good in life and in circumstances. These folks are fun to be around. Their attitude is uplifting and encouraging, and also contagious. We want their positive demeanor to rub off on us.
Now consider God and us. Do we tend to complain to him, telling him all that is wrong with our lives? Or are we mostly positive, thanking him for all the good that surrounds us?
I wonder if the chronic complainers aren’t God’s favorite people to be around either. Likewise I suspect he delights in those who are thankful.
This thought will surely reform my prayers. After all, the Bible says, “make praise your habit.”
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
