Christian complaining

     "Thou shall not complain."  No, it's not one of the ten commandments.  Guilting by fellow Christians doesn't make it a commandment either.  "All things work together for good for those..."  Still not one of the 10.  We innately know that complaining isn't what God wants us to do.  However we still do the complaining.  At least I do.  We'll get to that in a moment.  The Bible is full of God's people individually and collectively complaining.  Whether it was to be rescued or to overcome someone or something, the complaining was present.  In Thurston County, Washington, killing gophers is illegal as they are a protective species.  However, the abundantly annoying mole is left for us to kill.  That's a good thing.  They ruin more than they help.  You see, there is a connection with complaining and our ability to justify and rationalize that action on our part or on someone else's part.  Complaining is here to stay.  I complain about things from the weeds that seem to be way beyond prolific but only in my garden or flower beds.  I complain about the animals that enter my yard to do their business.  I complain about traffic, politics, friends, enemies, courts, and so many other things.  Am I preaching to the choir?
     In looking at complaining from a Christian perspective there are questions that arise about how we should react before the complaining starts.  Complaining is basically saying (to the Christian) that God hasn't taken care of something.  Complaining is saying that we know better than God and if we were God we would have taken care of this or that a long time ago.  Complaining says that others actions, words and thoughts aren't good enough to some unspoken standard.  Complaining teaches our children to do the same.  What would happen if instead of complaining we proclaimed joy at every junction of our lives?  Would we be seen as the eternal optimist?  Would people think that we have "arrived" and curse our life?  Would we be a believable witness to the greatness, love and grace of God?  And yet I complain and you probably do so as well.  Perhaps if we understood the point of not complaining we would be better fitted for the mission of leading others to Jesus who complained not as he was beaten, falsely judged, condemned and crucified?  Certainly that would change the perspective and perhaps our lives as well.  But even Jesus complained as he threw the money changers out of the temple, confronted the hypocritical religious people he was accused by.  Yet, God has the right to complain.  Do we have that same right?
     What is a Christian to do?  First and foremost, we must bring our complaints to God in prayer.  Laying our complaints before God was something clearly outlined throughout the Old and New Testament.  Acknowledging that we have complaints before the Father allows us to leave them on the altar where they belong.  Having left our complaint to God to deal with we are faced with the second step which is very difficult for most  That is actually believing that God IS dealing with the situation and IS taking care of the situation and HAS already formed a solution to our complaint even before we have uttered the complaint to him.  He isn't interested in the complaints outside of this formula.  He wants us to let him have free rein in all areas of our life.  So, whether we are in a good or bad place in our lives it's important to realize that he has the perfect solution tat will keep the good good and let the bad be transformed.  Realizing that I am powerless over whatever I am complaining about is the final step we must take.  You and I have no power over the situation in the world.  You and I have all the power to lay those situations at the foot of the cross and LEAVE them there.  It's always your choice.