Without Complaining

“I don’t want to clean the toilets,” grumbled Jacob as he scrubbed the inside of the bowl. His sister Julie stuck her head in the bathroom, “At least you don’t have to mop the entire house.” She complained. “My job is harder than yours.”

“No way!” Jacob argued. “We have four toilets, and I have to clean them inside and out. My job is harder.”

“Four toilets are easy. I have to sweep and mop every room, and there are twelve!”

Jacob and Julie continued to compare chores and argue about who had to work harder. Finally, Mom had heard enough.

“Jacob!” she called. “Julie! Both of you come here!” Jacob and Julie went to the kitchen where Mom was washing dishes. “What is going on?” She asked. Jacob and Julie started talking at the same time, continuing to argue, getting louder and louder as they tried to talk over each other. Mom held up her hand and they both stopped. 

“Julie, do you have a warm bed? Nice clothes? Dishes to eat your food off of?” Mom turned toward Jacob. 

“What about you Jacob? Do you have a nice floor to play in with all your toys? A working bathroom so that you can shower and be clean?”

Jacob and Julie both looked at each other and then looked at the floor. Julie was the first to speak.”I’m sorry, Mom. I guess I just got frustrated. I didn’t mean to be so ungrateful.”

Jacob nodded his head. “Me too, Mom. I guess I forgot just how blessed we were.”

Mom reached out to hug both of her children.

“You are both right. We have been blessed. I understand it can be frustrating sometimes, but we have to take care of the things God has blessed us with. That means we have to work together. When you were too little to help, I did it all by myself. Now that you can help, we can spend more time together as a family. The Bible tells us to work willingly and without hesitation out of love for Christ. Our work doesn’t have to be hard if we have the right attitude.”

Jacob and Julie hugged Mom tight.

“Hey, it’s like that song we sang in kid’s choir last week. Remember Julie?”

Julie laughed. “Yeah, the complaining song.” Mom laughed too. “The complaining song? This I have to hear.”

Jacob started singing.

“Do everything without complaining. Do everything without arguing. So that you will become, blameless and pure, children of God.”

Mom smiled. “I like that.”

Follow Up Verse

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. Philippians 2:14-15

F. I. T. — Follow It Through

Are you grateful? Do you show it? Always be ready to help out and help others with a good attitude.