I recently finished reading, as part of my daily devotionals, a book by Laurie Beth Jones entitled “The Path.”  It is one of those books that was so popular during the 90’s about finding your mission in life and setting goals.  It is a good resource if you need to do something like that because it centers on finding God’s purpose for our lives.  But one quote from the book has really stuck with me, “Bees hum while they work, they don’t whine.”

I have thought about this idea often since I read it because Tom and I have always had a no-whining zone around our lives.  Our son, John, wasn’t allowed to whine when he was growing up.  Tom and I aren’t allowed to whine about our lives.  If we start, the question that invariably follows is “What are you going to do about it?”

Occasionally I find myself getting into a habit of complaining.  I don’t do it as much since I retired, but one day at Scotty’s Castle I was really complaining.  Whining loudly.  When I notice the complaining spirit has taken over, I give myself five minutes to complain as much as I want, and then I stop for the day.  No more complaining – my whining time is up.

I think about some of the spirits that Jesus banished and wish that I could get rid of my complaining spirit that easily.  But we have to constantly be on guard against letting complaining spirits take over our lives.  1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Sanctification is the process of being made holy – growing closer to God in our minds, our souls, our bodies.  Whining has absolutely no place in a sanctified life.  Sometimes complaining has a place, especially if you voice the complaint in a productive way and then do something about it.  But we want to be kept blameless – and that means that we can’t be putting blame on others either.

Don’t whine.  Don’t blame.  And don’t complain unless you plan on doing something about it.  Let Jesus banish those complaining spirits from your lives so that you can be kept blameless and receive the peace of God.