Go Mommy Blogger and The Better Mom Devotional, day 3; Guard Against Grumbling

In today's devotional, our author, Ruth Schwenk speaks about the ever-so-familiar churning that starts in the wells of our beings and bubbles up to overflowing, often revealing itself as a red-faced, screaming lunatic.
That's us- the grumbling lunatics. 

It is said (here, in today's devotional, for instance), that gratitude is the best antidote to grumbling.

To express gratitude or to entertain grumbling...that is the question.

Most of us desire the former- this is our natural bent. We desire to be happy and, subsequently, gratitude is a common overflow thereof. But the truth is, grumbling is often times too easy. It comes out quicker, more often, and with a mighty power.
Like a flood. 



The way we can be grateful in one moment and drowning in self-pity, doubt, and pessimism in the next. Unsure this pertains to you? Try looking on Facebook without feeling prey to some form of disadvantage or defensiveness- it is saintly business.

 To all of this, I read:
"...grumbling reveals our blindness to our blessings. Our complaining shows how we fail to see all we have."

Ruth goes on to say -and don't miss this!-
"...most serious of all, our grumbling and complaining are really accusations toward God that life is not going the way we want or the way we think it should."

Wow- straight to the gut.

I grumble. I am not embarrassed to type this because I know that you do, too.
I grumble and complain and doubt God's goodness- sometimes all of this happens over the small, everyday things.
Sometimes, the larger.

But I much prefer my bent be towards the overflow of gratitude.
That I would be a natural optimistic, happy, person.

So I need to guard my heart- and so do you!

In today's Scripture reference, we read:

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; 

His love endures forever. 

Psalm 107:1

So the kicker here is to be thankful- regardless of our feelings. 

To remember Who God Is, regardless of the circumstances.

To believe, by faith, that God Is Who He says He Is, and THAT is our protection and shield against the grumbling. 

What causes you to grumble? 

Is there something that always seems to get to you?

One of my biggest downfalls is the ever-growing list of to-dos that never seems to get completed. Although I create, man, and handle the list(s), -which is to say, I control them!- I still find them to be ever-growing and unattainable, and this results in my grumbling.

Please share your grumbles below so we can all encourage one another or get a good chuckle- whichever seems most appropriate.

always,