Do people really even know what this is? Complaining, I mean. Because so often its mere mention raises hackles and brings quick rebuttals like:

• “What, now we can’t voice our opinion?”
• “I was just stating the facts?”
• “I guess we can’t speak up unless we’ve already agreed to drink the Kool-Aid, right?”
• “Don’t we need to lay out an accurate picture of the state of things?”
• “Oh, I see how it works—agree with the party line and you’re positive—disagree and you’re a complainer.”

and on and on and on. Some valid points to be sure. But actually, my desire to expose the “complainer cancer” has nothing to do with any of these. Like I already said, some of these responses might be quite valid.

But are they best?

Lately I’ve been trying to see the bright side of complaining—you know, the silver lining of griping.

Can’t see it.

In fact, I started laughing when I really thought of how silly it is to even try. It’s like trying to find the positive in negativity.

Duh.

I think the temptation and confusion comes because what complainers are so often after isn’t actually a bad thing. They’re complaining in the first place because something doesn’t seem right, doesn’t feel right, or just plain isn’t right. And because a solution does not come immediately to mind, the gap is most often filled with complaining. But what does complaining accomplish?

You thought I was going to say, nothing again, right? Well, I was, but now I realize that’s not true. It actually does accomplish something—several somethings in fact.

It makes matters worse!

• It lowers moral
• It causes disunity
• It drains away what little faith there might have been in leadership or people
• It even causes the complainers themselves to withdraw and give up

In short, there is absolutely no value whatsoever to this strange and common practice so many Americans—and, sadly, “Christians,” so often default to. But we do it anyway…

A lot.

But you might be surprised to learn that it’s really pretty easy to Stop Complaining.

Tell you how tomorrow.

P.S. Oh, and all of you joining us today because you heard a terrifying story about eyebrows and consequently feel sorry for the “eyebrow shaving pastor.” You can here the whole sorted, sad thing on our podcast. Just go to the www.southbrookchurch.com website and click on the “podcast” button and download the podcast entitled, “You’re am Idiot.” It should be up later today, or, at the latest, tomorrow.