Complain Less

Church fights often come from tension between tribes.

Jew vs. Gentile

Rich vs. Poor

Democrat vs. Republican

Doers vs. Receivers

Those Who Give vs. Those Who Need

How can I become a person who complains less? Where does negativity come from?

Negativity comes from forgetting who you are.

Matthew 20:1 ESV

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

We are the hired help, not the master of the vineyard.

Matthew 20:2–9 ESV

After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.

Journey before destination.

No two journeys are alike.

God promises the destination, not the journey.

Negativity comes when we want the destination but not the journey.

Matthew 20:10 ESV

Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.

Negativity comes from assumptions.

Matthew 20:11–12 ESV

And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’

Negativity comes from comparing ourselves to others.

John 21:21–22 ESV

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

Matthew 20:13 ESV

But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

Negativity comes when we forget what we were promised.

Matthew 20:14–15 ESV

Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’

Negativity comes when we think we are the director of the play.

Galatians 3:27–28 ESV

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

If you have not put on Christ, do so.

If you have already put on Christ, act like it.