A Complaint about Complaining

According to the authors of the book Significa, the world's champion complainer was a man named Ralph Charrel. Charrel received over $100,000 as a result of his systematic complaining. His smallest refund was of $6.95 and his largest was $25,000. Charrel spent time every day making phone call and writing letters of complaint. He even wrote two books, How to Get the Upper Hand and How I Turn Ordinary Complaints into Thousands of Dollars.

While we all have the right to stand up for ourselves, would you want to be known as the "World's Champion Complainer"? I hope not.

The issue of complaining has been around since the beginning of time and it found a special place at a church in Philippi in which Paul addresses the problem. Philipians 2:14-15:

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe..."

Paul makes a distinction between the children of God and the rest of the world. He says they are a "crooked and depraved generation," but we should become blameless and pure. One of the ways we do this is avoiding the temptation of complaining and arguing with each other.

If we choose to be thankful and encouraging instead of complaining; and if we choose to make peace instead of causing division and dissent, the Bible says we will shine like stars in the universe. May we shine for Jesus today.

On the Journey Together,

Justin