15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5)
Paul has just made a stark contrast between "living in the light" of Christ and dying in the darkness.  There is a day and night difference. As he continues on here, a distinctive characteristic of living in the light is ongon thanksgiving - alwas and for everything.  Thankful people are careful people - careful not to do things that displease the Father, and careful to consider others in all they do. As followers of Christ, this practical thankfulness should mark everything we do. It is not just something we say or think; it permeates the way we live. 

Are you still thankful today?

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,    for his steadfast love endures forever.

(Psalm 136)

Yesterday most of us sat around tables, eating till our fill and more, offering prayers of thanksgiving, relaxing with family and friends, and maybe even expressing our gratitude toward God more than one time.  How about today? And tomorrow? And Next Tuesday? God will be the same - steadfast each and every day, forever and ever - more certain than the world around us.  Will we recognize Him? Give thanks to Him? Let's not keep our thanks for one day a year (or part of that day), Let our thanksgiving be as faithful as He is. 

The Bottom Line of Thanksgiving...

8 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually
(I Chronicles 16)
Seeking God.  That's what it's all about.  Ingratitude runs from God, throws things at Him, speaks badly of Him, or ignores Him altogether. As we would say in Southwestern PA, ingratitude is ignorant.  Giving thanks with a grateful heart is the way to connect with God, to experience His presence and find true joy. To do so with, among, and before others connects us not also with Him, but with them.  It's not the turkey, the football, or even the pie - it is praising and thanking God together with others that makes the "magic" of this day. May we all experience it's joy - and especially His presence - today. 

A Thanksgiving Primer

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,    and his hands formed the dry land.
(Psalm 95:1-5)
If you're just not feelin' it... Thanksgiving, that is - prepare yourself for it.  To be sure, it comes less than natural in this day of arguing, whining and complaining in which we live.  So, get ready for it. Find a song of thanksgiving to sing. Join with others who will give thanks (our congregation would love to have you...). Remember and recognize the Good Hand from whom all blessings flow. Acknowledge God as Creator and King.  Set your perspective in order, and you just might find yourself becoming thankful... and that's a good thing. 

Hold the complaining, please...

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. (Philippians 2)

Verse 14 in older translations reads: "Do everything without grumbling or complaining". It is sandwiched between the first eleven verses of this chapter which describes Christ's humble, selfless willingness to come to earth and die on our behalf, without any grumbling or complaining, and then beneath the exhortation is Pauls reminder of his being poured out as a sacrifice in sharing the gospel and teaching them the truth of God.  Along with this negative exhortation: "Hold the complaining" are all these positive parts of the sandwich we should include: reverence, innocence, and commitment to the Word of God. So let's have a healthier sandwich today, and hold the complaining, please. 

Wrapping our Complaints in Compassion and Love

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3)
Paul was not in denial. He knew that things would come up which would make us want to complain to and about each other - be it in our family or church family - but we need to put things in perspective. The bigger picture is that we need to strive for harmony and unity. As we do so, we are not depending on our own ability, but our what Christ gives - He gives us the heart of God - compassionate, kind, humble, patient and forgiving.  It's an absolute just like truth - we MUST forgive. No excuses, no finger pointing, no clinging to our complaining.  May that thought guide our thoughts, and our speech and actions today. 

Complaining and Gossip...

29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Luke 5)

Besides being the result of simmering ingratitude towards God, complaining invites some pretty sketchy guests to come along, like gossip. God had sent His son to save sinners, yet the self-righteous complained about Him hanging out with them. God sent Moses to deliver the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt, yet the people complained and gossiped about him while he was up on the mountain, and to one another as they began a coup against him and Aaron. When we want to complain and blame, we love to pull others down into it.  May we be the ones who refuse to join in, and don't let it grab us in the first place. 

Complaining among Friends

8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? (Matthew 20)
Agriculture now is far different than it was centuries ago, but some things still hold true.  Good farmers help one another.  So when the landowner here responds to the complaints of those who had worked the whole day, he truly says "friend", speaking to them as one. For those of us who like to complain, when we find ourselves complaining to friends about life and its problems, and try to blame others, it should dawn on them and us that someday those very people we complain to will be those whom we complain about.  We like to complain. And we rarely have reason to.  Jesus point is that we should stop comparing, which leads to complaining. The landowner was just in what he did. Even more so, God is just in what He does. What are we always complaining about our lot in life?  Good friends don't complain; they comfort one another. 

(Not) The Complaint Department

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. (Acts 6)
Actually, I do have a sign by the door to my office that says "The Complaint Department." It of course, is a sign of comic relief, as is the mousetrap someone gave me labeled "to file a complaint, press here."  Christians are not exempt from complaining.  Obviously there was some validity to the "complaint" of these non-Judean Jewish Christians, or the apostles would not have addressed it the way they did.  They wisely made them part of the solution. They were a part of the "full number" of followers. What concerns me is when those who make a complaint are not willing to be part of the solution. When someone comes to "file a complaint" about what or how something is or is not being done, but will not become a proactive part of resolving it, I begin to doubt their commitment to the oneness of the body of Christ.  May we today take our complaints to God, to those in authority as He guides us, and to the planning table to see how we can help. 

A Valid Complaint...

Hear now what the Lord says:

“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, O you mountains, the Lord’s complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will contend with Israel.

3 “O My people, what have I done to you?
And how have I wearied you?Testify against Me.

(Micah 6)

God invites our complaints... but we better be ready to hear His. He asks for a fair trial, with all the evidence to be heard.  Of course, we know Who has the better case: we have a history, and so does He.  Ours is one of rebellion; His is one of faithfulness. We have no valid complaint; He does. The summary of this trial is found in that classic verse many memorize:

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,And to walk humbly with your God?

True Humility does not leave much room for comparison or complaining. May we choose well today. 

Hope for Complainers...

24 These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding,
And those who complained will learn doctrine.”
(Isaiah 29:24)
Mixed in with prophesies of judgment, Isaiah was also given opportunity to speak words of hope. After pronouncing words of woe and chastizement against Israel for her disobedience throughout this chapter, the message ends on a note of hope for the future. Complainers can be corrected, changed from the inside out; those who have a wrong spirit can come to their senses.  May this time of Thanksgiving wake us from the error of our ways and the disobedience of our hearts to be more grateful and open to the Lord's instruction and plan, and stop our whining and complaining.   

Don't Drown in Your Complaining...

29 Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.
34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:
35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”
(Proverbs 23:29-35)
Comlaining likes company.  It's a classic: people sitting around a bar complaining about their spouse or boss or the any and many ways life has given them a bum rap.  We all have a tendency to want to drown our sorrows in life by something, and for some, that something is alcohol. But there are many other addictions or substitutions we can use for contentment, trust and hope, instead of God.  We think we are taking away the pain, hurt, fear and discouragement, but really we are just hiding from it.  Accept no substitutes for the hope, peace and joy that only God can provide in Christ. Don't drown your sorrows, or your complaints, in anything.  

Complaining TO God, or AT Him?

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and hear me;
I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.

4 My heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.
6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 Indeed, I would wander far off,And remain in the wilderness. Selah...

16 As for me, I will call upon God,
And the Lord shall save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me.
19 God will hear, and afflict them,
Even He who abides from of old. Selah

(Psalm 55)

Complaining is usually not a good thing. In it we are often compairng, self-justifying, and becoming increasingly bitter.  So where do we go? What can we do when life seems unjust? David shows us here: we cry out to God, who hears, cares, and acts, in His appropriate time.  David had a valid complaint. Evil seemed to be prevailing. But He did not take that as an excuse to rant and rave at everyone around him; he took it as an opportunity to draw closer to God, His will, and His ways.  May we not become bitter complainers who never listen, watch or trust the Just One.