28 Days of Gratitude: Day #10
“I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.” (Job 10:1 NIV)
I hate my life.
That’s basically what Job said here. He had lost everything he had—his health, his wealth, and his children. It was all too much, and bitterness welled up within his soul and overflowed, until it came pouring out of his mouth.
Scripture recognized Job as blameless and upright, fearing God and hating evil (Job 1:8). Also, this is the same man who said in Job 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”
That just goes to show you that no one is exempt from negative feelings during seasons of hardship. Still, it may seem surprising to some that Job was so negative, and he even said he wished he had never been born (Job 3).
Have you ever surprised yourself by something you said when you were going through something awful, in a bad mood, having a rough day, or feeling exhausted? Maybe you didn’t say you hated your life and wished you were never born, or maybe you did. Either way, we all have experienced situations that made us want to do what Job did, and give free rein to a complaint.
FREE REIN OR REIN IT IN?
Whether you’re in the valley, hormonal, sleep-deprived, hangry, or over it all, at some point, you will be tempted to say whatever negative thing you’re feeling. A little devil on your shoulder will tell you to tell like it really is. When this happens to you, you’ll have to make a decision to rein it in, meaning to restrain or keep the negativity under control, or give the ugly complaint free rein.
Ideally, we would always keep our tongue under control and not speak any negative words, but James 3:8 says, “No human being can tame the tongue.”
So then, does that mean you are powerless, helpless, doomed to obey the little devil on your shoulder, and give voice to every negative thought or feeling you have? No, it doesn’t mean that. Matthew 15:19 teaches us that evil thoughts and words come from the heart. Therefore, you have to guard your heart—especially in distressing times.
Proverbs 4:23 KJV says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
When the devil appeals to your flesh, if you have been feeding your spirit with the word of God, then your spirit will override the temptation of your flesh to say the wrong thing. Self-control is a spiritual discipline aided by a healthy Word diet and a solid prayer life. On your own, you cannot control your tongue, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, you are able to overcome the urge to give into the demands and whims of the flesh.
THE WORD IS YOUR WEAPON
When Job said he was speaking out of the bitterness of his soul, he used the Hebrew word “marah” which can literally mean bitter or figuratively mean angry, discontented, or heavy.
Unless you guard your heart with Scripture, the intensity of your tests and troubles will make you angry, discontented, and heavy. Without the sword of the Spirit, which Ephesians 6:17 tells us is the word of God, your heart will become an untended garden overflowing with weeds of bitterness.
Bitterness weeds suck up all the sunlight and nutrients and starve out the good stuff in the garden, until the plants eventually die. When they get inside of you, they soak up the light, all the joy, all the peace, all the hope, all the faith, until there is nothing left but shadows of doubt, worry, fear, hopelessness, and darkness.
When this happens, your growth is stunted, and you do not thrive, so grab your sword. It will not just chop down the weeds, but it will penetrate deep into the soil of your heart where the branches of bitterness are lodged, and it will uproot them.
Your sword is your only weapon of defense and the only thing that will help you remain in a continuous state of gratitude, which is God’s will for you.
HELPFUL SCRIPTURES
Here are some of my favorite Scriptures from my personal arsenal to whip out when bitterness, negativity, and complaints try to darken the light of Christ within me. These verses help me maintain an attitude of gratitude (and watch my mouth) in every season:
“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1 KJV)
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3 ESV)
“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV)
“I would have fainted, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13 KJV)
“Happy are those who trust in the Lord, who rely on the Lord.” (Jeremiah 17:7 CEB)
“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 KJV)
JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT
Choose 5 specific things that may be aggravating, upsetting, stressful, or difficult for you, and find a reason to be grateful anyway. This will help you strengthen your gratitude muscle in inconvenient, unpleasant, and unfortunate circumstances, and avoid becoming negative and bitter. First, I will give you two examples to help you begin:
Example 1: I may be having trouble on my job right now, but I am thankful I have a source of income.
Example 2: I may be in physical pain, but I am grateful I have people who love me and help care for me.
It’s your turn.
Now, let’s pray.
God, Your grace is the silver lining in every dark cloud in my life. Please help me focus on that instead of the darkness that surrounds me. When I am tempted to get bitter and complain, please put me in remembrance of Your word, so I will bless Your name instead, because You are always good and always worthy of my gratitude. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
What Is the 28 Days of Gratitude Series Based On?
This gratitude series is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT, which says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
In my time spent with the Lord, He dealt with me about how we have a tendency to focus on our issues, problems, challenges, and difficulties, but we are not necessarily intentional about focusing on His goodness. Failing to meditate on His works forces us into a cycle of complaining and blinds us to the amazing ways He reveals Himself on a daily basis. In all circumstances, let us be more grateful.
What do I need to participate?
To participate in this series, you will need a notebook and a journal, because it requires writing some things down. In whatever journal you choose—and it doesn’t need to be anything fancy—daily, you will write down the Scripture of the day.
The featured verse will highlight a complaint from the Bible to help you see that, throughout history, others have struggled just as you do. Yet, God desires that we be grateful. In your journal, I would ask that you write the verse you see featured on the Daily Cup blog each morning, then jot down 5 things for which you are grateful.
5 is the number of grace, so you will be focusing on the grace of God and how His mercy has been evident in your life, even during rough times. At the end of each post, 5 suggested thing to write about are listed.