• June 28th 2011

Grumbling Antidote #1: Thankfulness

Yesterday, we officially kicked off NO GRUMBLING WEEK here on GUWG.

We started off with a pair of Bible verses that make it clear that grumbling, whining and complaining are bad things. We then issued a challenge: we asked all of our grumble-prone readers to (1) pinch themselves every time they feel a grumble coming on and instead (2) recite one of the verses.

I reported that by 7:12 a.m. I had already pinched myself four times. That number hit approximately 273 by the time I called it a day. But — with God’s help — I had managed to reduce my daily grumbling by approximately 84.1%.

I received Twitter tweets reporting grumble-prevention-pinching going on all over the world. One person called for No Grumbling Week to be sanctioned by Congress as an annual national celebration. (If anyone knows John Boehner and/or Nancy Pelosi, please let me know.)

Today, I thought I’d offer a biblically approved antidote to grumbling. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live out this verse moment by moment. It’s God’s will.

Be joyful always;
pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

How often are we supposed to be joyful? Always.

When should we pray? Continually.

What should we thank God for? Everything.

It’s hard to grumble when you’re joyful, praying and giving thanks!

  • July 20th 2010

Pursuit of Happiness

He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor.
(Proverbs 21:21)

While all men seek after happiness,
scarcely one in a hundred looks for it from God.
– John Calvin

Some thought-provoking advice from Rich Mullins about the pursuit of happiness . . .

1.

Forget about finding happiness. Happiness is not worthy of your search.

2.

Bake a cake — a really rich cake, preferably from scratch (and especially if you are an inexperienced baker or a tested, tried and notoriously awful cook). The value is in the baking more than in the cake.

3.

Call up some enemy of yours and invite that enemy to eat the cake with you. If the cake is good, you may lose an enemy and gain a friend. If the cake is bad, at least vengeance is sweet.

4.

If you can’t think of a single enemy, then call up a friend. Invite your friend over to eat the cake with you. If the cake is good, the favor may be returned. If the cake is awful, your friend may go buy one from a bakery for you. If you are without enemies or friends, take your cake to an old folks’ home. Eat it with them! If the cake is good, you will no longer be without friends. If the cake is terrible, you will no longer be without enemies. Finding a friend, making an enemy — now those are things worth pursuing. Happiness may come tagged on — but even if it doesn’t, at least you will have done something and established some relationships.

5.

Memorize Isaiah 40 or the first Psalm or Psalm 91. Read the closing chapters of the Book of Job. Meditate on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5). Write out one of the Prison Epistles (Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians) and send them to some other unhappy person. All of this may not make you happy but it will tell you how to be holy. Once you tie that knot you may find yourself in a position to be made happy.

6.

Work hard. Clean something. Rake someone else’s yard for them. If you are unhappy maybe you can help someone else be less so.

7.

Go back to the 3rd chapter of Lamentations and then repeat after me:

It is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for man to bear
the yoke while he is young.
Let him sit alone in silence
for the Lord has laid it on him.

8.

Re-read the 23rd Psalm and remember that if the Lord is your shepherd, then you are in a lush pasture. You are by a still stream. If it seems otherwise to you, it may be because you would rather be happy than be God’s. If this is so, then you have more reason to be happy than anyone. God has chosen you — ungrateful, decadent you — and being His is a joy and a happiness that goes beyond anything else you may seek, and in your folly settle for. God will (in His mercy) make you discontent with anything less than Him.

So we only have one step left . . .

9.

REJOICE!

  • September 23rd 2009

Wednesday Worship

It’s Wednesday. According to lots of polls, it’s the worst day of the week and the day on which people do the most grumbling.

Let’s live differently today . . .

Shout for joy to Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
(Psalm 100)

Ask the Spirit to fill your day with exclamation points . . .

SHOUT for joy!

WORSHIP with gladness!!

THANK God!!!

PRAISE Him!!!!

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • June 19th 2009

Sing!

Sing joyfullly to the Lord, all you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
(Psalm 33:1)

When I first became a Christian, I tried really hard to like Christian music. I bought Christian CDs, listened to Christian radio stations, went to Christian concerts and even tried writing some Christian songs myself. What I found, though, was that for some reason approximately 99.3% of Christian music (and 100% of the songs I wrote) gave me gastrointestinal difficulty.

Over the years, I’ve managed to overcome my musical snobbery enough to discover several Christian-y songs that don’t upset my delicate musical sensibilities. So, without further ado, here are my . . .

ALL-TIME-TOP-TEN-DESERT-ISLAND-TURN-’EM-UP-TO-ELEVEN SONGS

1.   Get Down by Audio Adrenaline
2.   40 (Live) by U2
3.   It Is You by Newsboys
4.   Amazing Grace (Live) by Tree63
5.   Every Grain of Sand by Bob Dylan
6.   Blood of Jesus by Rock ‘n Roll Worship Circus
7.   I Need More Love by Robert Randolph
8.   Super Good Feeling by Bleach
9.   Life is Good (Eternal Life is Better) by Stellar Kart
10. In the Sun by Michael Stipe and Chris Martin

On the way to work the other day, I was singing along rather loudly (and badly) to Song #1 on the list. I love the lyrics:

GET DOWN
(By Audio Adrenaline)

Lavishly our lives are wasted
Humbleness is left untasted
You can’t live your life to please yourself
That’s a tip from my mistakes
Exactly what it doesn’t take
To win you gotta come in last place
To live your life you’ve got to lose it
And all the losers get a crown

(Chorus)
I get down, He lifts me up
I get down, He lifts me up
I get down, He lifts me up
I get down

All I need’s another day
Where I can’t seem to get away
From the many things that drag me down
I’m sure you’ve had a day like me
Where nothing seems to set you free
From burdens you can’t carry all alone
In your weakness He is stronger
In the darkness He shines through
When you’re crying He’s your comfort
When you’re all alone He’s carrying you

(Chorus)

This valley is so deep
I can barely see the sun
I cry out for mercy Lord
And you lift me up again

(Chorus)

  • January 12th 2009

Rejoice. Repeat.

Rejoice in the Lord always!  I will say it again, rejoice!  Philippians 4:4

Today’s verse is pretty simple.

What are we supposed to do?  Rejoice.  Repeat.  Rejoice.  Repeat.  Rejoice.  Repeat.  Rejoice.  Repeat.  Rejoice.  Repeat.  Rejoice.  Repeat.

When are we supposed to do it?  Always.

REJOICE!

  • January 11th 2009

Sing!

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.  Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.  Sing to him a new song; play skillfully and shout for joy.  Psalm 33:1

When I first became a Christian, I tried really hard to like Christian music.  I bought Christian CDs, went to Christian concerts, listened to Christian radio stations and even tried to write some Christian songs myself.  What I found, though, was that approximately 99.23% of Christian music (and 100% of the songs I wrote) for some reason gave me gastrointestinal difficulty.

The problem is that I’m a musical snob.  I have a narrow and impossible-to-explain sense of what constitutes good tune-age and what doesn’t.  No matter how hard I try to fake it, my mind just won’t let me enjoy music that offends my delicate sensibilities.

Over the years, though, I’ve managed to overcome my musical snobbery enough to discover a plethora of Christian-y songs that don’t upset my duodenum.  So, without further ado, here in no particular order are . . .

16 SONGS THAT DON’T MAKE ME PHYSICALLY OR SPIRITUALLY NAUSEOUS

  1. I Need More Love by Robert Randolph Family Band
  2. Blood of Jesus by Rock ‘n’ Roll Worship Circus
  3. 40 (Live) by U2
  4. Amazing Grace (Live) by Tree63
  5. God’s Gonna Cut You Down by Johnny Cash
  6. Super Good Feeling by Bleach
  7. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
  8. Get Down by Audio Adrenaline
  9. Life is Good by Stellar Kart
  10. Every Grain of Sand by Bob Dylan
  11. Welcome Home by O.C. Supertones
  12. Be My Escape by Relient K
  13. Beautiful Thing by All Star United
  14. Wait by Everyday Sunday
  15. In the Sun by Michael Stipe
  16. He Reigns by Newsboys

Some of the songs may not seem overtly Christian-ish or be from traditional “Christian” artists, but for some reason each one of ‘em helps me feel closer to God in some way.  Turn ‘em up to 11 and may they bless you as much as they’ve blessed me.

SING IT LOUD!

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