Whiners and Shiners

We all have a choice when we face difficulties. Do you know what Ephesians 5:8 says about people with genuine faith?

I can sometimes be a whiner. 

I can see the glass half-empty and focus on the negatives in an otherwise positive situation. 

But I'm getting better. My husband thinks so anyway. 

Whining is like staying in a dark room with all the curtains pulled instead of letting the sun shine into our circumstances. 

Even when our circumstances are truly dark, there are always stars in the dark sky if we look for them. 

And when we look for light, we reflect it and become shiners instead of whiners. 

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ... Do everything without grumbling or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky" (Ephesians 5:8; Philippians 2:14-15). 

Wanna be a shiner? I do!

For another 1-minute devotion on this subject see Whining is a Sign of Unbelief.

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We all have a choice when we face difficulties. Do you know what Ephesians 5:8 says about people with genuine faith?

Bible Love Notes

9 comments:

  1. Yes! I want to be a shiner. I am very much a whiner and arguer. It is so hard to break bad habits, but nothing is impossible when you have God by your side. Right? Thanks so much for hosting!

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  2. I agree with Janine--grumbling and complaining are very hard habits to break and easy ones to fall into. I want so much to truly shine for Jesus.
    I wrote a very similar post, Gail, that was published in the Upper Room several years back. I included a link to it in your TGIF.
    Blessings!
    Pam
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  3. Oh I really love your quote about whining being like a dark room, and needing to let the Son shine in and turn our whine to shine! It's funny how sometimes we can get in the "habit" of whining and not even notice it if we're not careful! Thanks for the reminder and thanks for hosting!

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  4. Ok, Gail, you've quit preachin and gone to meddlin! I had a simple thing that was causing me frustration today, and I could feel the frustration rising in me. Startled, I recognized the intensity of my feelings and thought, "Man, what if I was dealing with a REALLY difficult situation?" It was a good check and opportunity to remind myself to act like a grown up and not like a child. Tantrum nixed. One for the Spirit!

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  5. Oh I definitely have a tendency to be a whiner! I think another key to letting that light shine on our dark circumstances is to focus on what is good & positive instead of the negative aspects (Philippians 4:8).

    Blessings,
    Nicole @ WKH

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  6. Thank you for this post! Alway good to reflect.

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  7. I love this, Gail, and will share it on my FB page. I found a photo of a woman who pulled back the curtain and is sitting and looking up at the light. It reminded me of what I did just yesterday when I was tempted to give in to depression. I looked up into the sunlight and thought "You are a child of light." ... Thank you for always redirecting our thoughts to the Lord of Light.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your solid witness, Dawn. I know that you are dealing with a great many challenges and doing it in the Lord's strength. God bless you.

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