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Topic: Whine (05/23/13)
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TITLE: To Whine or Not to Whine | Previous Challenge Entry
By Victoria Hickey
05/29/13 -
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We all whine from time to time. It is a fact of life. When we are uncomfortable, discontent or feeling mistreated, it is our natural human response to whine. But how many times are the situations that cause us to whine a direct result of choices we have made? Hilary Clinton once told Marie Claire magazine, "I can’t stand whining. I can't stand the kind of paralysis that some people fall into because they're not happy with the choices they've made."
Mrs. Clinton seems to be saying that it is our choice to whine. If that is true, then it is also our choice to not whine. Because God loved us enough to give us freedom of will, He has empowered us to choose the way we handle the circumstances surrounding us. Think about the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. In this story, Martha whines to Jesus about having to do all the work. She wants to be with Jesus but she knows the chores have to be done. She figures no one else is going to do them so it is up to her. If she would choose to do the chores as an act of worship, then maybe she would not whine about the choice she made to do the chores. She could have chosen to sit at the feet of Jesus, but then she probably would have whined that the chores weren't getting done. The interesting thing is that Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and Martha chose to work in the kitchen. It is important to note that Martha could honor Jesus by working in the kitchen if she would choose to not whine about her choice. Whining is actually in direct disobedience to Philippians 2:14, which says to do EVERYTHING without grumbling and arguing.
Maybe the key to not whining is to learn to be content. Paul seems to be saying this when he recounts his trials and how he handled them. Consider this passage from II Corinthians 11:25-27. “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” Paul had plenty of reason to whine, yet he gives us an alternate way to handle trials. In Philippians 4, Paul instructs us to rejoice, to not be anxious about anything, to make our requests known with thanksgiving to God, to think only good and happy thoughts, and to be content whatever the circumstances.
James Marsters, who became known for his role as Spike in the TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” sums it up this way. "My personal philosophy would be don't whine, don't let opportunities pass you by, be willing to work hard, and remember that you don't know as much as think you do, ever." Whining is a choice. Choose today to be content whatever the circumstances.
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