Skip to main content

Clean Up in Aisle Life

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Ephesians 4:8)

          Two days ago (because I’m writing a little ahead!), a friend shared a post about not complaining for 24 hours. I also shared it, along with some suggestions. I began by considering forgetting the 24-hour bit. That takes too much concentration. Try one minute, several times per day. You might try one minute during an upset, when you’re most likely to complain.

          I also suggested that you replace the complaining with something, because “I will not complain” is likely to end with you complaining about your complaining. One option is to find something to do that will help solve the problem you want to complain about. Another is to use the energy generated by the emotion and/or cause of the complaint. Walk, craft, clean, do something about whatever you want to complain about, sing along with praise music, or dramatically read the Bible aloud.

A third possibility is to turn your attention away from the situation far enough to break the emotion’s power. In other words, think about something that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and/or praiseworthy.  This may not be easy, especially at first, but again, you have all the energy your agitation has produced. It doesn’t have to take you all the way to bliss or nihilism (“Nothing really matters”). It just has to take you to self-control.

Ultimately, complaining and worrying are habits. Sometimes we think we have a right to them, just like any drunk thinks he has a right to drink. Complaining makes us feel in control or superior to those who caused the problem. Sometimes, we seem to think that complaining is the right thing to do. After all, if we don’t tell someone about the problem, how are they going to know they need to do something? But there’s a difference between telling someone there’s a cleanup needed in aisle Life (“Just the facts, Ma’am”) and 3-10 minutes of expression of dissatisfaction or annoyance, with a description of the problem, assignment of blame, comparison with others who do better, etc.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Shepherd!

                 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep . (John 10:14) God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Genesis 3:14) The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths     for his name’s sake. Even though I walk     through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,     for you are with me; your rod and your staff,     they comfort me. (Psalm 23:1-4) For the Jews, it was politically incorrect to make claims about yourself as a teacher (or possibly as anything else.) Teachers were expected to take pride in the...
Post a Comment
Read more