Do Everything Without Complaining

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 as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Philippians 2:14-16

In my Bible study last week, I stumbled upon this verse. I have found this especially hard to do lately.  Like I've mentioned, school is extremely overwhelming for me and it's easy for me to grumble about it. A lot of my classmates spend a lot of time talking about how hard school is, and I often jump right in. Sometimes, I even start the complaining! But really, this verse is telling me to cut that out. That doesn't mean I shouldn't care about their troubles, but instead of joining in the complaining, I should be shining like a light.  Not complaining doesn't mean that you don't have difficulties or trials, it just means that you refuse to indulge in them.  I find that often, in my own struggles, a little positive thinking and a thankful attitude are all I need to feel better.  Not to say that all troubles can be overcome by positive thinking, but I think it can do a lot of good in any situation.  

To the world around us, a bunch of positive thinkers will stick out.  It's innate to complain, so if we stop complaining and have a thankful attitude, people will take note.  Maybe it will even give us an opportunity to share God's Word with them! I'm going to try hard this week (and every week!) to be a more positive thinker.