The Cure for Complaining: Stay Positive

we are in week two of this series called stay positive and man isn't a series very very timely for the time that we're in right now cuz in so many times negativity can just try to rule our lives we need to be able to stay positive and today we're going to talk about gratitude man gratitude is something we really really really need to have and I don't know about you but during the time when you're in a stay at home order or you're under quarantine and you're with those people that you're close to me your family or sometime you can start to learn a whole lot of stuff about the people you're quarantined with you know what I mean in fact I've learned quite a bit as well and I'll just kind of share something with you I have five children but I during quarantine I actually learned that I actually have a kid I didn't even know I had a sixth kid and now I've to be fair I've never seen this kid and but I do know his name his name is nobody and he does a lot of crap around my house look let me give you an example for instance because nobody drank the last of the milk and then put the carton back in the fridge and and nobody peed on the toilet seat and nobody left the food on this plate that they got left on the countertop and nobody threw the trash on the floor when the trash cans right there I'll tell you if I find this nobody character I am going to be he gonna being some time out you know what I mean hold on you mean you got you with nobody to maybe everybody has a little nobody in their life somewhere right it's kind of like having Elf on the Shelf for like all year long you never know what you're gonna get you just walk around the corner no telling what nobody's done but I'll tell you what it sure enough to get a complaining on about it right and we we can complain about all sorts of things in our life and and if you're I tell you it's crazy my gen Z kids they got a whole term in Gen Z for people to complain the kind of those people you know those people there call them Karen's now I'm sorry if your name is Karen and an entire generation is now labeled you as this I didn't do it blame Gen Z for this okay but here's the thing in case you don't have a gin Z translator living in home let me just try to explain what a Karen is via a story my daughter works at Starbucks and recently she had some I come to drive and say yes I need a hot cold brew my daughter's like well actually we don't serve hot cold brew but we do have cold cold brew or or I could get you maybe a hot coffee or some espresso shots but now I've ordered this at mini Starbucks do your job right okay I'll be right back let me check with my shift manager goes the shift manager do we serve hot cold brew by chance no we don't serve that Oh what do I do just give her a black coffee okay great come on up to the front we have that ready order order ready for you comes up to the front my daughter hands her a black Pike Place grande sip and she says see hot cold brew get it right next time and drives off as if my daughter is the idiot this is where gin Z would be like hope you enjoy that hot cold brew can that's how it works with gins ears right people complain they complain about hot cold brew but right we complain about all sorts of things not just like hot cold brew but we complain about the weather it's too hot too cold it's too rainy hadn't rained enough we need more rain people complain about the pandemic why are people wearing so many masks why are they putting all these orders in place this is crazy they complain the other way it's like people or should be wearing masks why are people just out and about what are they doing this is crazy people complain about being at home too long over the last six weeks or so and the time in quarantine safer at home then those same people who complained about that we're complaining about being at work two months ago you can't win for losing I submit to you we got a new pandemic in town and it is the pandemic of complaining and we as the people of God need to flatten the curve on the pandemic of complaining the good news that I have for you today is that there's a cure to the pandemic of complaining and it is called gratitude it is called gratitude now we see this illustrated in Scripture in proverbs chapter 15 where the Bible says in verse 13 a glad heart makes a cheerful face but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed glad heart makes a cheerful face doesn't that sound good having a cheerful heart makes it a cheerful glad heart makes a cheerful face doesn't that sound good right listen you don't need Botox you don't need that anti-aging cream if you want to improve the curb appeal of your face put a smile on it right and that smile comes from a heart that's full of gratitude and it creates a glad heart a place that we can smile and beat now lest you think that this is just some biblical precept that I'm tossing out to you today actually during the course of research the last couple weeks on gratitude I found an article in a psychology magazine that talked about the psychological benefits of gratitude in our lives check this out according to the article it has five different things they've had positively identified that'll bring impact to your life number one gratitude eliminates toxic emotions gratitude reduces pain improves sleep quality gratitude aids in stress regulation and gratitude reduces anxiety and depression does this sound like a miracle drug well it is and guess what there's no body gonna be reading side effects at the end of the commercial and the auctioneer's pace okay it is truly got no ill side effects gratitude do you need a little bit today you feeling a little critical feeling a little bit anxiety a little bit of pressure a little bit complaining coming out there's a cure for that and it's called gratitude maybe you could type in the chat what do you need to exhibit gratitude for in your life you see I like to say it this way is that gratitude is the gateway to peace gratitude is the gateway to peace I encourage you today step through it step into it and watch as God transforms your inside in your heart because you can't have gratitude in your heart and then you start having all this complaining coming across your lips right gratitude becomes the gateway to peace now I don't just stand up here and throw this out of some little cute phrase that you can try to memorize or whatever I've seen it personally in my life how is that expressed well I mentioned to you at the start of the message that Jamie is the inspiration for much of this right and so we've been married 23 years and I actually have a picture of my wife Jamie and I'm sure she's happy that I'm showing you a picture right and they're so great were there in Oregon there it's so fantastic now we've been married 23 years and we're I'm about to tell you I'll tell you with her full permission because she talked to me about if it's helped me in such a way maybe it might just encourage and even save some of you so during the course of 23 years there's been seasons where she's really battled with anxiety some severe anxiety which leads toward depression and really if you've ever had a loved one who struggled with that you know the internal dialog can be very damaging to a person right and during one of these seasons recent she felt like God really just impressed upon her to be I listen have gratitude write it down write it down and she's like maybe you feel this way write it down be granted greater grateful for what I don't have a lot so she began a journal called her gratitude journal and she began to write down things that she had gratitude for and understand this hey when you start this when you start this process it may look like I'm grateful for the birds singing right now and the sunshine on my face and it's hard to find stuff but you just keep going and all of a sudden things get deeper recently I checked one of her gratitude journals she's up to over 1,300 things that she can look back on and find gratitude in and in her words her words were that gratitude was the way out of the pit of despair and maybe today you find yourself in a bit of a pit some anxiety negativity complaining bitterness anxious gratitude then becomes the gateway to peace for you gratitude becomes the Gateway to peace and in fact not too long ago we actually had friend of ours find out that they were diagnosed with a rare cancer and they've given her about five or six months to live and as you could imagine when someone's dealing with that in their head I mean it just all the thoughts of loss come in loss of the days that you thought you had the time with your kids you thought you had and your spouse and it can become quite a pit of despair and discouragement and depression when you receive news like that and Jamie reached out to him I was like man this has really impacted me so she actually went down got a journal and talked to her about hey I know is this totally different surgeons if this is maybe help me maybe it'll encourage you and it was funny recently she was telling Jamie how even though the times are unbelievably difficult in the face of this sickness of her cancer diagnosis that even though when she was sitting there in the hospital with chemo dripping into her veins she's like they couldn't touch my heart because my heart began to fill up with gratitude finding silver linings and even in the middle of a situation that every single one of us would say we would want nothing we would not wish that upon anyone horrid but there even in those situations she said you can begin to find a gateway gratitude being the gateway to peace we're gonna look at a scripture today in Philippians chapter 4 that I'm gonna tell you you didn't end up at one of our locations on accident you didn't click on a video on accident or attended let me explain God wants you to hear a truth from his word that will be transformative to your life and it comes from Philippians chapter 4 verses 4 through 8 and I want to want you to understand something before we get into the scripture and that is that Paul is actually writing this book from prison right so a situation where he's locked up and he can't go anywhere he get out he certainly has a very unsure future doesn't know what tomorrow brings for him is this starting to feel a little bit close to home for any of you right now yes it's in that situation that he pins these words where he writes in verse 4 rejoice in the Lord always again I will say rejoice now I think it's important you ever whenever you're with a friend or maybe when you were little in your parent they repeat something 2 times to you it's like this is important you need to listen up to this ok he says rejoice I'm gonna say it again rejoice always rejoice well that Greek word for rejoice is the word Korea it means to be glad which would make sense but there's a more beautiful truth a little deeper the root word for cRIO comes directly from the word Charis Charis meaning grace having God's unmerited favor in other words getting something you don't deserve you see a beautiful little word picture here where his circumstances didn't dictate him rejoicing it was a deeper truth an understanding that he's experienced something that causes true rejoicing rejoice he says again I'm gonna tell you rejoice and let your reasonableness be known to everyone the Lord is at hand Paul saying he's not gone and they love me being in prison in the middle of quarantine or in a pandemic he's not gone the Lord is close therefore he says do not be anxious about anything now that's a tough one don't be anxious about anything well that word anxious from the Greek actually it means yes to be a concerned or worried but even more beautifully I love this word picture how the Greek its meanings to be pulled apart in many directions right you feel a little pulled apart recently it can't worry just begin to pull us apart and you start worrying about your job and you start worrying about your health and the finances and all this stuff you began to feel all depart that is where anxiety anxiousness comes in pulsing don't be pulled apart don't be anxious about anything but in everything and this is a concept that Paul talks about many times in Scripture in fact in Romans 8 he talks about hey listen God can take all things and work them together for the good of those who are called according to his purpose it's the same principle God's using everything he says listen don't be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be known to God the word Thanksgiving right there I want to call you guys this is so beautiful of a picture of words it is the word yucca rista okay and I'm gonna have them put it up on screen there one of the crazy things yes it means thankful but in the middle of the word what are we seeing we see the word Karras again it's that idea of God's unmerited favor his grace and it beautiful that Paul st. you can rejoice rejoice always do it again with what Thanksgiving these things these emotions these attitudes stem from a place much deeper than circumstance it's from a heart of gratitude understanding that which you've been saved from because you see the truth of the matter is what Paul saying is hey listen I'm in prison here I get it I'm locked up and but you know what my circumstance doesn't dictate my ability to rejoice and to be thankful and for us today I would submit to you that it's not just about being out of quarantine being out of your fear or worry it's about something much deeper been set free transform from the bonds of sin that hold us back receiving something we didn't deserve God's grace his Karras and in that we find the ability to rejoice we find the ability to be thankful that's what Paul's telling us and then check this out in verse 6 aren't we finished but then listen to verse 7 okay just listen let me speak versed center over you listen to this and tell me if this doesn't just sound like the best thing ever verse seven and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus the peace of God doesn't that sound good Oh sounds so good right the idea of peace well here's the thing that word for peace in the Greek it's actually the opposite for being anxious remember I told you what it's like anxiety is like being pulled apart in many different directions right but this word is different Arina it means the exact opposite it means to be made whole to be complete so what you find is that the peace of God a gift of God's peace comes from being made whole right let me try to illustrate it to you like this okay so in our lives we have things that we're doing here we got we got some stuff here in our lives we've got our little or Trey in our life and we have things that happen and we begin to put them on right and that's not too bad one little worry one little problem not too bad but that things start happening and you know it just gets a little bit more difficult and problematic and there are many of you right now you're getting anxious about these balls rolling around on a tray much more than I am at the moment trust me I'm a little concerned about it myself but this is like a great illustration and a picture of what our life looks like right it's all rolling around everywhere how worried am I about walking across this stage at any level of speed right now I'm a little concerned and it's kind of how where we are in our lives you see because the worries of the world pull us apart in many directions and now I'm fearful to move you found yourself fearful to move recently being pulled apart in many different directions but you guess what this not just about me listen Paul says don't be anxious about anything don't be pulled apart in many directions but we we find ourselves held up here and we start to try to walk but then we're like I'll gosh I can't go anywhere right and we start to go and now I'm getting a little concerned and we start moving and we start going and then what happens oh we trip we trip and then oh no that that right there that's what I'm that's what I didn't want to happen that's what I see that's why I should have just stayed over here Paul's like hold on a second hold on don't be anxious don't be pulled apart by many things there's something better it's called the piece and like it's like to be made whole right see it how hard how worried am I about dropping this going across stage now hopefully not too worried I did play sports in college hopefully I've got the the dexterity to get across the stage without dropping this one ball right be made whole piece feel the difference what happens when I want I'm not worried about walking I can walk I feel good me and made whole a peace of God right what happens when I walk alone what happens if I trip oh it's okay I'm good why peace its guarding my heart in my mind in Christ Jesus I made whole but guess what you can't get this for seven without doing verse six don't be anxious about anything but in everything with prayer and petition supplication make your requests known to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding because his thoughts oh there's so much higher than ours his ways is so much higher Oh guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus the peace of God now I can also illustrate it like this it's a great Christian cheesy bumper sticker out there I don't know if you've ever seen this one I'll throw it up on screen as we look at it here no Jesus no peace no Jesus no peace you see that you see what they did there you get that one I'll wait just a little bit longer for some of you you were distracted by your kid their church online is okay hold up go pee and no Jesus no peace cheesy yeah it's pretty easy true absolutely why because Jesus is the Prince of Peace noah's peace how do I get his peace well it goes back to gratitude actually because gratitude remember I told you it's the Gateway to peace where's gratitude come from mmm an understanding of something that you receive that you didn't deserve God's grace his Karis unmerited favor and when you understand that and you operate from place of gratitude as Jesus said out of the overflow of your heart your heart full of gratitude your mouth speaks thankfulness and it begins to squelch the negativity it helps you to stay positive gratitude it is the gateway to peace [Music] there's a final verse that Paul pens here in the book of Philippians in verse 4 chapter 4 verse 8 there as he's coming to a close he says finally brothers now finally would kind of mean that we're getting close to the end and so for some of you you've got a good reason to be grateful right now cuz we're about done okay finally brothers whatever is true whatever is honorable whatever is just whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is commendable if there is any excellence if there is anything worthy of praise think about such things why because what we think about begins to transform our heart and then out of the overflow of our heart the mouth begins to speak right let me illustrate it to you the best way I know how now this illustration I saw pastor Craig do this probably like 16 years ago and this has stayed with me all those years and I pray and hope it stays with you as well so this glass here let's say it represents our lives okay scripture says it'll guard your heart and your mind so this represents like your heart now when it says hard it's not talking about your the organ that pumps blood inside your chest it's talking about something much bigger it's about your thoughts your dreams your endeavours your desires it's your totality of living this is you things are pretty good right maybe this is like 2019 for you this thing's pretty good maybe it was January q1 sales were rocking this is back when your kids were still in school right this is you happy oh but then something happen worried a pandemic hit and you begin to get a little concerned you begin to worry about your finances your 401 K which quite honestly looks about like a 201 K at the moment worried about your job you know that one email that your boss sent out last week it had that one line in it and you kind of read that line at one sentence and you're like ah what does he or she mean by that maybe I'm gonna lose my job maybe maybe it's your kids health or your aging parents or maybe you have a relative who's immunocompromised and there's true concern about it's gonna happen to them I mean what if what about the economy I mean you can't just write print money right I mean that doesn't make any sense what's gonna happen in q3 q4 to my business whatwhat about what if the virus comes back what if it comes back stronger than it did before and things get to have what if we get it under control but then it comes back so many worries what about murder Hornets right and then this is what happens to us right it was all good now I don't feel so great I feel pulled apart anxious I complain a lot depression anxiety fear worry Jesus said there's a better way Paul writes hey listen don't be anxious about anything but in everything present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus you see there's a cure for this pandemic of complaining and the cure is the nice picture of gratitude in your life what does it look like well kind of like this whatever is true whatever is honorable whatever is just whatever is pure whatever is lovely I understand some of you you're gonna hear this in you're gonna be like this is a great idea and you're gonna start you're gonna open a note in your phone you're gonna start putting down things you're gonna get a gratitude journal you're gonna have all kind of things you're gonna start and it's gonna go great and by Wednesday you stop and you're gonna look like this you see it's a grind everybody it's a crying you got to keep going you got to stay in there you got to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ because whatever is true whatever is honorable whatever is just whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is commendable if there's any excellence there's anything worthy of praise then think about such things Paul says don't be anxious about anything but in everything prayer supplication present your requests to God and then the peace of God which transcends all understanding it'll guard your heart and your mind and price and that which the enemy has tried to hold you captive to and your thoughts the fear and the worry will be replaced with the peace of God when you allow gratitude to overflow in your heart to be thankful in all circumstances and what you'll find is that perhaps even in the middle of a time where there's a lot of negativity and a lot of things quite honestly to be worried about and find negative maybe you'll find that there is a cure a little miracle drug called gratitude and when you put it into place perhaps it'll help you to learn how to stay positive let's pray father I thank you for your word the transformation that you have through your scripture and your truth I pray today that as we take this in God that we're not just motivated in a moment but a deep understanding and motivation to put into practice what you've taught us through your word today as you're praying today man if there's those of you who say you know what I hear you and man I want to exhibit that I want to find myself being grateful in all circumstances and allowing gratitude to begin to flow out as thankfulness across my lips and no matter what I face to be grateful and to find gratitude if that you just lift up your hands I'd be honored to pray for you if you're a church online just let us know there yeah many of us father today I pray that in the face of a lot of opportunity to find worry and strife and complaining I pray that you would allow gratitude to overflow in our hearts for what you've done for us first and in what you're going to do through us and what you're going to do in this moment then we trust you that you will work all things for the good of those who are called according to this purpose and I pray for those of us today who are saying yes help me to have more gratitude that you would give us eyes to see even in moments that look negative that there's something to be grateful for in it still praying today there's those of you who would say you know I I don't know that I find that that peace you talk about that surpasses all understanding I don't have that but man it really sounds good I don't know that I feel all that grateful to God well maybe it's because many times folks feel that way because they don't understand a very very fundamental truth and let me let me just tell you it's so beautiful that idea of grace unmerited favor meaning we're getting something we don't deserve what do we deserve well the Bible is very clear that all of us have sinned that includes you and that includes me we've all sinned and fallen short of the standards of God far short oh but there's good news than that some great news are you ready to be grateful well here's the truth the truth is that even though while we were still sinners while we still hadn't done anything you see it's not what we do it's who's done it for us and that is Jesus God sent Jesus His only Son who was sin less to be a sacrifice for us so that we could be made news so that we could be forgiven so that we could experience his peace that surpasses all understanding and there are those of you today who that is the truth that God wants you to hear that there's nothing you can do to earn his peace he is that he gives his peace to you freely through His grace his that you didn't deserve that I don't deserve through his sacrifice of His Son Jesus and the Bible says all you have to do is believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you shall be saved you shall be forgiven you shall be made whole you shall find peace there those of you to desert today at all of our locations and for those of you across Churchill line who that is why God has you today listening to this message if that's you today and God has brought you here to hear this message online or at a location and you say yes Jesus I need your forgiveness I want your peace in my life just lift up your hand right now and say yes Jesus come in take over yes right over here to my right right over here to my left in the gods family may his peace reign in your heart those of you at church online you just let us know that you're making that decision today and as people across the world are coming to know Jesus let's lift our voices together just repeat this prayer after me dear Jesus thank you for dying in my place so I could experience forgiveness so that I could have your peace Jesus come into my heart make me new help me to live my life grateful for your sacrifice in my life in Jesus name I pray and everybody said a man could you give it up for God in the work he's doing [Applause]

Channel: Life.Church

Views: 34,262

Rating: 4.9188542 out of 5

Keywords: Craig Groeschel, Sermon, Life.Church, Lifechurch, life church, life church sermons, craig rochelle, groeschel craig, church sermons 2020, complaining, stop complaining, how to stop complaining, complain, cure for complaining, gratitude, grateful, power of gratitude, gratitude speech, benefits of gratitude, being grateful, be grateful, be grateful for what you got, get grateful, sam roberts, sam roberts life.church, how to cure complaining, attitude of gratitude

Id: ALnCNjKa2Lg

Length: 32min 5sec (1925 seconds)

Published: Sun May 17 2020