Complaining Is Not the Answer; It's the Problem

I like to learn new things. New experiences and especially new skills are high on my list of interests. When given an opportunity to learn a new skill that has potential future value, I am almost certain to jump at it. That is why I was more than willing to join the construction crew on my principal's house.
I've had my hand in a few remodeling and construction endeavors over the years. Yet,  there is always more to learn, and--so long as I am paying attention--I can only improve with practice. So of course I said yes. After spending nine months in a classroom doing musical calisthenics (because I am convinced that my students think I'm waving my arms around for my health) I need a change of pace and a new challenge.
And that brings me to where I am today, one month into the project and...holding a bad attitude.
Where did that come from?!
It's hard to say exactly how these grubby worms of internal nastiness come to exist, but there comes a time when your can of worms spills over into a five gallon bucket that everyone can smell. I must admit that when I think back on the proceedings of the last two months I can easily trace the origins and maturation of these negative emotions. Even before we started the project I was looking forward to being done. Yes, I want the work. Yes, I want the experience. However, there are a number of other things I want to be able to focus my time and energy on right now and in the future. Even the faint whispers of other opportunities and projects gives rise to a revolt inside my mind. If there is something else that I want to be doing but I can't do at this time, a part of me will probably blame whatever it is that I am actually doing. Some times it makes sense; not always. But it's too late. The water has been poisoned, and my attitude is in jeopardy.
Next thing you know I start making comments; little statements of discontent; small grumblings. Any talk of extending the wait or any additional inconvenience becomes a mounting catastrophe; an insurmountable injustice.
Now, I know that there are many of you who will not understand this progression of frustration because you don't live in the same world as me. You don't walk through life with the same cares and concerns. And that is just fine. We each have our own burdens to bear. But I know that I am not alone in this. I have met others with similar personalities and common struggles. Additionally, Paul makes it rather clear that there are others like me when he tells us to knock it off:

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." (Philippians 2:14-15)

You don't have to scroll very far through your facebook feed to find some complaint about something. My job is too hard. My family isn't fair. Our government is wrong about this issue. I don't like my hair. McDonalds put pickles on my burger! If I am going to shine in this world, if I am to stand out from the crowd in a positive way, I must take control of my complaints.
Are there legitimate things to complain about? Absolutely. There are plenty of real issues involving actual injustices and moral degradation. Yet even in these areas there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to air these grievances. But if I allow my life to become a continual rant on the minor irritations of my ever-so-important life, I will not shine the light of God's truth, love, and life in this dark, complaining world.
The fact of the matter is, I know from whence most of these complaints come. They do not come from God. There is another force at work in our world, and he wants us to keep our focus on ourselves. He wants us to develop a mentality wherein we are the most important element of our universe, and our individual desires and comforts are to be the top priority. Jesus also tells us that this other force is out for three things: to steal, kill, and destroy. By encouraging our complaining he effective steals our joy; he kills our eternal life which is found by abiding in God; and he destroys our hope of finding true satisfaction, peace, and purpose in God. By instigating a campaign to improve our own lives, Satan sets us on a course to ruin our own lives.
What makes it worse is that it doesn't stop with me. Complaining is contagious. When we are in an atmosphere of grumbling it can be very hard to keep from grumbling ourselves. I witnessed this first-hand at camp. I was a part of a college-age summer staff wherein we all signed up to serve knowing full well that it involved a lot of hard and dirty work (think 50 toilets weekly and you might begin to understand a portion of the challenge). Within three weeks our summer staff community had already developed a blatantly verbalized distaste for all work that involved restrooms, dish rooms, vacuums, bedrooms, and actually waking up in the morning. We complained about it, and we commiserated over it, and we made ourselves miserable.
Somewhere around week five I finally had a revelation. Didn't I sign up for this? I've done this before and chose to come back for another summer of this exact work. I wanted to come here to serve. Why am I complaining about having to serve? It wasn't easy to change my gut reactions and my perspectives on the work with all the negative talk around me, but I was able to salvage much of the summer. More importantly, I was able to serve with a willing heart and even enjoy it.
So here I am, a month into the summer, doing work that I wanted to do, and I find myself complaining.
God, I need your help to shift my attitude. Help me to seek to serve you in all that I do. Help me to rejoice in you always. Help me to live a life of gratitude in all situations. And help me to share your joy, peace, life, and hope with others as I work.