complaining – Amy Linnea

Zipping Your Lips

Published on August 9, 2025 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Philippians 2:14-15

What are God’s purposes for you on this earth? To glorify Him, and you cannot do that while complaining.

You’ll also live caught in the web of self-condemnation, probably in a bad mood most of the time when your speech is perverse.

Subsequently, your witness for God is tarnished.

Sends others off screaming in the other direction.

So how do we glorify God when we feel like complaining?

We praise him anyway.

We choose to push aside the complaining thoughts, praising God instead. Even if.

When we choose to continue trusting God as life tempts us to sour – that’s when our witness shines. That’s when God’s transformation of our very selves shines brighter.

It’s how the world sees the difference God makes in our lives.

So if we choose to complain every time things go south, we’re absolutely no different from the world.

They complain, too.

But if instead you choose praising God in the midst, choosing to trust him instead of your circumstances, you’ll show the world how good God is.

How trustworthy He remains. How much better off you are with Him by your side. How much you need Him as life often deals badly.

Your purpose on this earth is to glorify God, reflecting Him to others.

Draw them today, instead of leading them away.

Photos by Kristina Flour, Jelleke Vanooteghem, Richard Bell, & Naassom Azevedo on Unsplash

Perspective

Published on June 4, 2022June 4, 2022 by amylinnea2 Comments

Life is really all about perspective.

Right?

When life bites you, all you want is a small break.

Any relief, really.

More particular.

But when things are smooth sailing, you’re pickier.

At the beach this week, our home was about 12 houses from the ocean.

Twelve.

More like two blocks.

Yet the girls nicely complained about walking to the beach.

They wanted a ride.

It’s perspective.

If you told them back at home, the beach was literally two blocks away, they would have ran down to see it. Often.

Would not have hesitated to use their two feet.

But at the beach home?

It’s perspective.

Do you complain about anything? Your house? Your job?

All the overwhelming choices at the store?

America is the land of the free, home of the brave!

So many people in our world today would happily change places with us if they could.

Instantly. They cannot comprehend our complaining.

Change your perspective.

Me? I absolutely adore the beach. Wish I could plop Omaha right by the ocean.

But what decided to visit me while vacationing? A giant cold. Seriously sneezing.

And no, I’m not allergic to the beach.

But I literally don’t care. I’m where I love best.

What blessings are staring you in the face today?

Might not look like what you pictured.

Might even be used to it, looking for more.

So look again, asking God for His perspective.

He sees you, knows you, and loves you.

He’s got your best in His mind.

So while you seek His thoughts of you, mirror Him with your perspective.

Stop complaining and walk to the beach.

Photos by redcharlie, Petar Jadek, Colton Jones, Sean Oulashin on Unsplash

Thank you

Published on August 10, 2019June 9, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings, I will sing for joy. Psalm 63:7

Are His praises ever on your lips?

Is your thankfulness dripping off your tongue?

It’s so much easier to complain.

Grumble.

Whine.

It’s easier because it’s more natural.

Natural in our human mindset.

But what if you turn it all around?

What if you change your focus to how good He is?

What if you change your laundry list prayer life to a time of thankfulness?

God is so good to us.

My summer has been anything but restful.

Moving.

Organizing our material possessions and selling things we deem ridiculous to own.

Sudden job loss.

New house delays and issues to deal with.

Launch new business from scratch.

Start of a new school year with my school under construction.

Whew!

Believe me, I’ve complained. 🙂

And when I’ve complained, my world becomes ugly and gray.

Full of despair.

But when I’ve changed to thanking Him for all of it, it’s amazing to me how my world, my same world, becomes beautiful and bright.

Full of hope.

Declare how good He is and thank Him in advance.

You’ll be surprised at how peaceful and hopeful you’ll be.

But that really shouldn’t surprise you.

Focusing on God always points us to rest.

To Him.

To His goodness.

Thank you God for all of it.

Thank you God for finishing our beautiful home and bringing the workers.

Thank you for fixing our website and delivering our materials soon.

Thank you for giving us Your wisdom in all that we do.

Thank you for giving me and my teacher friends grace and peace as we enter the new school year still under construction.

Thank you for surrounding our children with godly friends and influences.

Thank you for always taking care of us and going before us every step of the way.

You are so good.

So good to us all.

Thank you.

Now it’s your turn!

Photos by twinsfisch on Unsplash

Real Life 2.0

Published on February 23, 2019June 9, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God. Psalm 43:5

Ever have a pity party?

Honestly, they’re fun.

It’s fun to wallow in poor me.

Why?

Because when we join our pity party, we feel comfortable.

Safe.

It just feels right to complain.

To utterly concentrate on the ugly.

It’s like the Sadness character in the movie Inside Out.

Nothing you can do to change her mind.

She’ll always just be sad.

Now wait, isn’t it OK to be sad?

Why are you dumping on being sad?

Yes, it’s perfectly fine to be sad.

Normal, in fact.

Healthy.

It’s healthier to be sad and grieve something then to simply ignore it, pushing your feelings down to your toes.

But the feeling of sadness and grieving is not a pity party.

It’s not poor me.

It’s simply sad.

You are choosing to grieve, but not demanding others give you a behavior green card.

An allowance to act however you choose, because after all, you deserve to after what you have been through!

I’ve had a pretty bad week.

Actually a bad 2 weeks.

A week ago, we found out our 8 week old unborn child was only 6.5 weeks and did not have a beating heart.

Then a few days ago, we discovered it was not meant to be.

And I’ve been waiting for my body to cooperate and get back to normal ever since.

Hence my foul mood.

While it’s perfectly normal for me to feel sadness, to grieve what will never be, I crossed the line.

I had a big old pity party.

I moved from sad to depressed.

It was not pretty, folks.

Real life.

While I know in my head what is the truth, I still chose to wallow in myself.

Aren’t you supposed to count your blessings when you’re down?

Yes, but that’s not as fun as feeling plumb sorry for yourself.

I even had several cookies.

And lots of wine.

But God’s faithfulness prevailed, as it always does.

I’ll never get those days back, but I can remember for the future.

Remember the clear difference between pity and sorrow.

With God’s grace, I’ll choose wisely next time.

Will you?

After all, it’s real life.

Photos by Paola Chaaya, Pim Chu, & Masaaki Komori on Unsplash

Pure Trust

Published on January 19, 2019June 9, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 1 Peter 4:12

Been reading about Abraham lately.

Like so many of you, I’ve decided to read through the Bible yet again this year.

So, I’ve come to Abraham.

Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, more specifically.

Can you even possibly imagine simply obeying God about this?

God asked Abraham to “Take his only son, whom he loves, and offer him as a sacrifice.”

Incredibly, the next passage simply states that “Abraham rose early the next morning” and basically began his journey.

With Isaac.

To sacrifice him.

That was the express purpose of this trip.

Notice any arguing with God?

Complaining?

Questioning?

Abraham did none of those things.

He had argued before about the destruction of Sodom a couple chapters earlier.

So, we know he dared to argue with God.

But somehow, he didn’t now.

I’m simply stunned.

To me, that shows how much Abraham trusted God.

God had told him his offspring would be multitudinous through Isaac.

Maybe he had a sneaking feeling God would intervene, due to that earlier promise.

Maybe he thought he’d have another son and name him Isaac, too.

He had witnessed miracles, including the birth of his son in his old age.

He regularly talked with God.

Therefore, he did not question God’s commands.

To sacrifice his only son,

Abraham had unwavering faith.

What about you?

What would you have done?

God regularly tests our faith.

Big or small, God is continually asking us to simply trust Him.

With everything.

Trust Him and pass the test.

Because just like Abraham, God will show up when you do.

Photos by Matthias Tillen on Unsplash

Witness God

Published on November 15, 2015June 6, 2023 by amylinnea2 Comments

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe y ou would see the glory of God?” John 11:40

When faced with complaining, you have an opportunity to witness God’s power.

We cannot behave properly without God, so we must allow Him to work through us.

Disgruntled situations provide freedom to let God move.

But only if we choose to respond with life.

Most of us choose darkness or crabbiness when life smacks us in the face.

When that response feeds our flesh, poison is spread and God’s peace slips away.

What if we responded with love,

with grace,

with the wisdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit within us?

What if every moment of disappointment was covered with desiring God’s purpose,

His love,

with His grace and mercy?

What if we looked at every distressing situation with the opportunity to experience God’s sovereign help?

To experience God’s power changing us from the inside out?

We have the option to let God work through us.

Each time He does, we are covered with a layer of His mercy and love.

When we choose to bend our ear to His wisdom, He responds with heaps of Himself.

I know it’s not fun to witness disappointment.

But instead of wallowing in self-pity, choose life.

Think about how you now have yet another opportunity to trust God.

To trust your precious Savior who wants what is best for you.

And when you trust Him, He fills you again with His perfect peace.

So the next time disappointment stares you in the face, think instead, “Oh sweet relief! Here comes more of God to blanket my soul.”

Then choose to depend on Him to keep your attitude holy.

Photos by Євгенія Височина & Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

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