Everyone Whines Sometimes

It's natural but it's not productive. God hears us and lovingly encourages us to change the way we speak.

Are you a whiner?

Everyone whines sometimes. I dislike whining. Whining is annoying. Alas, the truth is, at times I find myself to be pretty good at it.

“There are no positive outcomes for whining, only negative ones.”

I remember many of my conversations with God beginning with, "But, God..."

But, God, why don't you just change my husband? But, God, why do they have a bigger house than me? But, God, why can she eat cake and still be thin? (I may or may not still whine about that one!)

I asked my son, the psychologist, why do we whine? His answer, "Whining is a display of discomfort, typically mental discomfort, such as, not getting our way, or facing a task we do not want to do. Under that discomfort may be a sense of loss of control or the inability to manage disappointment effectively."

A dictionary defines whining this way, "to utter a low, usually nasal, complaining cry or sound, as from uneasiness, discontent, peevishness, etc."or, "to snivel or complain in a peevish or self-pitying way."

So, not getting our own way, not wanting to do what is required of us, not feeling in control or not wanting to be disappointed. These are all legitimate difficulties of life. Perhaps we whine about them because we feel like no one is listening to us. Or we whine because we want to make sure others know how we are suffering. Or we whine because we just need a little attention. Perhaps we just don't realize we are doing it.

When our daughter was learning to whine, as all children do around the age of two, we told her we did not understand "whine" and if she wanted us to understand her, she would have to speak to us in her big girl voice. It always amazed me how quickly she could recover and change her voice - and her attitude. (The beginnings of self-control!) When it comes to whining or not whining, attitude may be the key. There are no positive outcomes for whining, only negative ones. Whining is unproductive.

Psalm 34:8-10 (NASB) says this, "O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him, there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger. But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing."

My friends, God is GOOD and only GOOD! He is listening and He HEARS us. He knows our suffering, big or little. He cares. He is always only a whisper away. He delights to fulfill our wants because He loves us so much. When we depend on Him, we never have to whine about anything. He is on our side for the WIN - in everything - the tough and the easy.

I don't want to be a whiner. I am grateful for my kind and gracious Father and His gentle reminder, "Kathleen, speak to me in your big girl voice..."

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