Complaining

“Why are complaining and arguing so harmful? If all that people know about a Church is that its members constantly argue, complain, and gossip, they get a false impression of Christ and the Good News. Belief in Christ should unite those who trust Him. If your Church is always complaining and arguing, it lacks the unifying power of Jesus Christ. Stop arguing with other Christians or complaining about people and conditions within the Church; instead, let the world see Christ." (Life Application Study Bible, Philippians 2:14-16)

“Life is kinda like a game of poker. We’re given a certain set of “cards” that we didn’t choose. We didn’t choose when or where we were born… we didn’t choose our parents or how they treated us… we didn’t choose our physical weaknesses or limitations. There’s a lot of things that go into us that are beyond our control. The easy thing to do is to complain about it and wish I had a different set of cards; the right thing to do is to make the most of the hand I’ve been dealt.” (Father Anthony Messeh)

“Complaining disturbs the heart and distracts us from the path. Complaining weakens our resolve and interferes with the acquisition of peace and holiness. When we complain, we are rejecting the role of suffering as a means toward union with God…Live life by trying to see good everywhere … encourage others to see the world around them in a positive light. In a culture that loves to complain, and has refined it to an art, dissatisfaction and complaining are a “passport to do nothing”. (Abbot Tryphon, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese)

“How easy it is to grumble and complain too quickly....We must be patient for God’s kindness and help. Don’t let a negative attitude erode your trust in God…Rather than complain about your present situation, look for ways to use every opportunity to serve God and share him with others. Your problems may be opportunities in disguise.” (Life Application Study Bible, Exodus 15:23,27, Acts 25:23)

“Do we complain about the job someone is doing in the church, while remaining unwilling to accept any responsibility of our own? Do we have a negative and complaining spirit? If so, it is time to change and to begin offering encouragement and support to our leaders, and the praise that helps build one another up. We need to remember the wonderful advice of St. Paul who asked us “to encourage one another and help one another.” (I Thess. 5:11)

"He wanted us to remember that Christian people seek to build people up, and not to tear them down." (Rev. Andrew Demotses)

#FatherAnthonyMesseh #AbbotTryphon #RevAndrewDemotses