GET TOGETHER- PRAYING BEATS GRIPING
Php 2:14 ¶ Do all things without complaining and disputing, (NKJV)
Last week we had a situation where we were having to have the floor replaced in one of our bathrooms. An old hot water heater had leaked causing some damage in that part of our house. One of the things that we were going to have to do before Serv Pro came was to get the hot water heater unhooked and moved out. By the way I greatly appreciate the work that Serve Pro does and the way that they make sure that their customers are satisfied by the way that they are performing the job that they are doing.
When we found out that we were going to have to have the hot water heater taken out before they came the next day, we realized that we would have to take it out ourselves. Well plumbing, electrical work, and mechanical work are not my strong points.
I began to silently gripe about it. We have a busy schedule from now until Mid-October and I was thinking why we couldn’t we wait until then to do that. At that point the Holy Spirit paraphrased this verse to me “do all things without griping and complaining. I also was reminded of another verse Col 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, (NKJV). I sure didn’t want to be griping to the Lord about this. I repented and then began to pray a verse that has meant so much to me in my journey with the Lord for over 31 years: Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (NKJV)
J.J. watched a video on how to do it and we called our good friend Jeff Stidham and he told which valve would turn off the gas. I know I am going to Heaven, but I wanted to be sure the way that I unhooked the gas was not going to expedite my getting there. That isn’t the way that I am wanting to go.
Well, we got the hot water heater out and we are looking forward to it getting reinstalled soon. What if we hadn’t prayed? What if I had just kept on griping in my spirit. Who knows? Yesterday I caught myself griping about something else. The Holy Spirit reminded me that just as He had helped me to disconnect the water heater and the propane line going into it that He would help me with that matter.
The King James Version uses the word murmuring in place of complaining. It comes from the Greek term goggusmos, gong-goos-mos’. It means grumbling, grudging, murmuring. In the English language murmuring means a subdued or private expression of discontent or dissatisfaction. That was what I was doing under my breath.
The Greek term for disputing is dialogismos, dee-al-og-is-mos’ heer is how Strong’s renders it: from 1260; discussion, i.e. (internal) consideration (by implication, purpose), or (external) debate:–dispute, doubtful(-ing), imagination, reasoning, thought. When I look at that I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit restrained me from getting into an external debate with J.J. about us doing that at that time.
There have been some times today that I have almost stepped over into griping about some things even as I was working on this. The Holy Spirit reminds me of some things when I get headed in that direction. He is letting me live and be in good health at seventy-two years of age. He lets someone that was a gross sinner such as I was serve Him today. There are people in Afghanistan, and in other parts of the world that would see the minor nuisances that we have as a great blessing. I have been to Guatemala and other countries where people don’t have hot water, or clean water. Yesterday me and another brother in Christ at this point could still pray publicly in a restaurant where we were eating. There are places in the world where that would land you in prison.
Jesus told us in Mt 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (NKJV) He wants our light to shine in the home. He wants our light to shine at school, work, the ballgame. Wherever we are He wants our light to shine. I am preaching hard to Preston right now. If I am griping my light is not shining. But if we will turn that griping into praying then our lights will shine in a world that has so much darkness in it. And by the way as I said earlier someone else is going to reconnect that water heater. Hallelujah!
Let Us Pray
Lord, we thank You that through the Holy Spirit that you chasten those that You love. We live at a time that we could and can find something to constantly complain about. But Lord, we thank You that You have given us a better way than murmuring. We thank you that we have access to Your throne at anytime and anywhere. Help us not to gripe, but to take it to you in prayer.
In Jesus Name
Amen
Love You All
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
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