Hey, Sweet Things! God prompted me to throw a Monday challenge out on Twitter early this morning and on my way to work it occurred to me that I should extend it to my dear fellow Siestas. Here’s the challenge: to go through this entire day (starting now, in case it’s a little late) until shutting our eyes on our pillows tonight without a single criticism or complaint. Consider it a deliberate exercise in Philippians 2:14-15. What prompted the challenge was my own feeling that I could get cranky today if I let myself. (I didn’t have room to explain it on Twitter.) I’ve told you before about my sleep issue (it runs in my family of origin and, no, I don’t drink caffeine later in the day) and a lot of days I just shrug it off but somehow, when Monday morning follows a short Sunday night, I feel fussier about it. This morning I could see the handwriting on the wall. I made up my mind to choose joy in the power of Jesus’ Name. While turning those pedals on my exercise bike, I told the Lord out loud that I wanted to make it all day long without voicing one single complaint. I could not believe how quickly my mood improved and I feel as happy as one who’s had 10 solid hours of sleep.
Now, let me quickly say this. I’m not a fan of living in denial. Some complaints are legitimate and NEED VOICING! I already had one of those this morning on a good friend’s behalf who is in rough situation. So, what do you do then? Voice it to God! Lord have mercy, don’t think I’m posing as some huge example here this morning. I’m just asking you if you want to join me in being very deliberate about our mouths and our attitudes today. If you have a valid complaint, take it to God and, if possible, say it to Him out loud. It increases the sense that you really did get it off your chest. Sometimes a silent prayer doesn’t carry the same power as one spoken with passion and holy intent. Make some declarations today so even your enemy knows you mean business.
What do we do if we get to noon having already blown it? START OVER!!! How many times we have to start over helps us see how habitual our complaints may be. We may have no idea that some of the people around us think we’re habitual complainers and perpetual nay sayers. We are also part of a culture that shouts from every corner of social media, “If you think it, say it!” and the discipline of self-restraint is circling the drain. Lastly, it just doesn’t help. Murmuring and complaining and dwelling on how much something or someone annoys us only adds to the bad mood.
Think up, Siestas! Let’s choose joy! And let’s choose it out loud. No time to proof this post and write it well. Lots of work to do but I’m doing it with joy. I’m crazy about you guys and think of you every day.
Jesus loves you. This I know.
The dear Lord knows our problems and frustrations. He knows how little sleep I got this weekend, how the home redo is not going so well, and how I ended the day in the middle of a “he said/she said” argument between my two teens. I don’t need to keep sharing that misery with everyone I meet. At this moment, the snow’s looking pretty, the coffee smells great, and I’m planning to spend some time with the Lord. Praise God – it’s all good with my soul!
Just now got this… and I’ll take your challenge on Tuesday… not as bad as a Monday morning to try not to complain, but still. God bless you, Beth! =)
This is the EXACT challenge I gave my 13-year old last week. The pitiful thing is she said she didn’t think she could do it! I agree with you 100% about your comment about the discipline of self-restraint basically going down the drain. When my kids were little and I was sick of hearing complaining, all’s that I would have to do is say, “Phil. 2:14!” and they would quit. Ha! So funny – they didn’t have that verse memorized back then but certainly knew its context.
One more thing, Beth: I’ve had terrible trouble sleeping too -I could go to sleep but I couldn’t STAY asleep and was walking around on 4 hours sleep as the norm. Found out about melatonin, which is a natural hormone found in our brains that God gave us to help control our sleep and wake cycles. As we get older, we produce less and less of it. However, you can buy it as a supplement (available everywhere – like Walmart). There are different strengths but just get the 1mg and you can take it every night until you are sleeping better. Now I only take it once a week or so and normally get 7-7.5 hours of sleep – much better. Google it – there is a ton of information on it.
This is my memory verse for these first 15 days of FEB…
Great reminder to actually implement what I am memorizing.
Just now reading your post (Tuesday morning @ 6:25am) so I’m taking the challenge for today!! You’re right about our attitudes and actions too!!
Going to keep my mouth in check! :o)
~Beth
Doing this today (Tuesday).
OH SISTERS….did I need this yesterday!!
Beth…how did you do yesterday?
Thinking about it now, I would have to say that the majority of my thoughts and words yesterday were of complaints!
Thank you for the challenge…it is early and so today is the day I will accept it!
Wonderful, wonderful idea….what comes to mind immediately is how easily I complain about other drivers when on the road. WOW, is this going to be a challenge but I’m up for it! Got me thinking, is there any good scripture memorization verse that comes to mind about this issue, please let me know OKay?
I’m in…albeit a day late…but, I will choose this day to be joyful and take my complaints to the One who knows what to do with them!! Thanks Beth!!
I love my sisters and will take the challenge in this world of many challenges.
This is too funny–I didn’t make the Monday challenge (in more ways than I’d care to admit), but this was delivered to my email this morning. After a short night of sleep last night, though, I think it’s just the kind of challenge I need!
I missed this yesterday, so I’ll start today!
We’ve had a. lot. of. snow. here in OK and people are complaining. We are supposed to get 4-8 more inches today. : / oops….. 🙂
It messed up a few of my plans, like the Pioneer Woman book signing last Saturday, but…really, I enjoyed being in the house from Mon. night to Sun. afternoon. I really did.
I watched Joel & Victoria Osteen taping A Night of Hope in Jerusalem Sat. night and Joel said “When something upsets you, shake it off.” Within a very few hours of hearing him say that I was able to put it into practice. My complaint was legitimate, but I shook it off! You know what? It all worked out very nicely and God took care of my complaint.
Thanks for the reminder & for always thinking of your Siestas.
Love ya!
Your Monday is my Tuesday. Got it too late on Monday so I am going to do this today. And wouldn’t you know it I was up most of the night. We seem to have that problem in our family too!
Thanks for sharing, it is good to get started on a positive note.
Times are tough in this family right now and it is easy to get discouraged and be negative. So I will be positive today and tell God my cares and concerns and enjoy serving Him today!
Thanks for the challenge, Beth. I’m in, even though it’s Tuesday and I just read your post. Also am in agreement with being more of an encourager. Thanks, Ash!
I’m taking the challenge…it fits in perfectly with my verse for this week…Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up acording to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Wow – that is the Siesta bible verse I am memorizing for this first part of February!!
I didn’t see this challenge yesterday, so today, this is my challenge. Today (Tuesday) sure feels like a Monday. I didn’t sleep very well, and I feel irritability (and all that comes with it) crouching at my door. But I choose JOY! For Jesus has made me GLAD!
Thanks for the challenge. May He be pleased with my words, thoughts and meditations of my heart!
Blessings to all!
I failed at this yesterday. Even as I laid in bed about to go to sleep! I decided to try again today. I just sat down to get a Word, and guess what Word there was for me…..”If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Gal 5:15.
Amen? Amen!
Oh my goodness! I wish I would have read this yesterday. Yesterday I was just in a bad mood, and that is so unlike me. I was frustrating with things and people to no end… I’m going to take this challenge today (I am in a much better mood today) but I do want to challenge myself to rise above the complaining and letting things eat at me.
Well, I didn’t get this until Tuesday morning, so I’m going to take the challenge today. And it is apparent that I need it today!
Thanks, Beth. Hope you got some sleep last night…
Oh my goodness! I wish I would have read this yesterday. Yesterday I was just in a bad mood, and that is so unlike me. I was frustrating with things and people to no end… I’m going to take this challenge today (I am in a much better mood today) but I do want to challenge myself to rise above the complaining and letting things eat at me.
TUESDAY CHALLENGE for me! By the time I read your post yesterday I thought I would start with a cleaner slate. I love new beginnings! So here I am LORD, intentionally devoting my thoughts and my tongue to you today. Let it be the beginning of a new thing, forgetting the former things!
Thanks Beth for encouraging us to THINK UP! (Very powerful!)
May my tongue be intentionally tied up for JESUS today….TUESDAY, and everyday!
Theresa
thank you, thank you, thank you
I just read this today, so I will accept your Monday challenge on Tuesday instead. My February 1st Scripture is “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer”, so this challenge goes right along with my verse. After being away from retail for 13 years or so, I have moved back into a retail environment. As customers come and go, I am amazed at how many negative comments run through my mind, and yes, sometimes come out of my mouth. Great challenge. I’m gonna do it!
It is Tuesday…but I am choosing Joy..thank you Beth.
Beth – I and my husband are taking the challenge today. Hopefully it will become a new habit. Yesterday I also vowed to stop being sarcastic. Thanks for the post and challenge.
Rejoice in the Lord – I will say it again Rejoice!
Deb K. Sterling Heights
I just saw this post this a.m.(Tuesday)-but had the same start to my morning yesterday! I could feel a raging mood storm coming on-so instead of caving to it-I took my iPod-upped my elliptical program and sweated it out while meditating on my scripture memory verse! What a difference it made to my day! Still reaping the empowering benefits of victory. Thanks for sharing.
I’m a day late, but I’m taking the challenge ’cause that very temptation is knocking at my door this morning. I’ve already talked to my Lord about it, but now I’m leaving it there. This is glorious…Thank you Beth.
I didn’t see this post until late last evening, so am accepting the challenge for TODAY! Thank you, Beth, for your reminders and encouragement.
Thank you also for uniting Sisters in Christ via this blog. I’ve “met” several women here who are such a blessing to me. (I can only hope and pray I am a blessing to others, too.)
It is such a privilege to be part of God’s family through our Living Redeemer – our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thess 5:11.
Since I did not get on here yesterday, I am going to do this today. Thanks Bethie!
Well, whadiya think about that? I shorted myself some major sleep last night by staying up to finish a Kingbury novel, and I’m feeling it this morning. So what is one of the first things I see after I turn my computer on today? This challenge! Now that’s God’s timing for sure.
So, here’s the prayer I’ll be praying today: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the doors of my lips.” Psalm 141:3
Yesterday I was moved to pray that God would “put a guard on my tongue” and make me mindful and repentant of the critical things I say, and give me a spirit of kindness in its place. Your message confirmed what God was saying to me yesterday without having read your thoughts until today!Our wonderful and amazing God is at work in each of us unseen at the same time!
Dear Beth, it’s Tuesday morning (late morning for a college student with a class at 7:50) and I just got around to reading your latest blog. I don’t care if it’s Tuesday and it already feels like the middle of the day, I’m taking this challenge now because for some reason I felt like being a complainer this morning. Well, not anymore. I’m going to use this day to praise Jesus. 🙂
I choose joy!
I read this yesterday, mid-afternoon. I’d been having a great day and thought “No problem! I got this!” And honestly, I don’t think I complained the entire day. Today is a whole new ball game. My littlest bundle of joy didn’t sleep last night. Mama’s T-I-R-E-D! All the more reason to choose joy today. It will be a lot tougher today to live our Phil 2:14, but I am going to write it on my hand as a reminder. Thanks for the challenge!
Ooooh, having Twitter would have been a good thing for me yesterday. I did more than my fair share of complaining and then wondered where the joy and peace I love had gone. Thank goodness His mercies are new every morning. I’m game- no whining, no complaining. Thanks for the challenge.
Great challenge….just what I needed and have been praying about too; not just speaking complaints but realizing how many complaining and critical thoughts I have. Now when I have a critical or complaining thought I am trying to turn them over to God; allow more joy into my thoughts.
Oh my! I was doing the same exact thing yesterday! I saw this email pop up but didn’t have time to read it until now. (I call it waking up on the wrong side of the bed – but I should really reconsider my wording on that because you have to actually SLEEP to WAKE UP – ha!) This morning all seems clear….He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. Isaiah 50:4 Thanks Beth,
Melany, Heart for Women Ministries
Thank you for reminding me that it is “in the power of Jesus’ Name” that allows me to choose joy. Sometimes forgetting Who will make it happen could explain a lack of success, couldn’t it?!
Just saw this post today, but I needed it so much! Thanks for the reminder to choose joy when I want to complain or criticize.
This is my TUESDAY CHALLENGE as I just checked my mail and got this post. What an awesome reminder of the fruit of the spirit — self-control — which I read about during my quiet time earlier today. God Bless You for continually challenges me to be more like Christ
*sigh*….it’s Tuesday morning. I blew it yesterday….starting over today.
Beth Moore – you truly are my blessing. I’m only getting this post on Tuesday morning BUT I need it for today. Thank you for posting your thoughts are they occur.
Love you…………………
Sheila Henry
Okay…I saw this post late last night, so of course, not complaining for an hour was quite easy! hehehehe I’m a big believer in the power of our words (you know, the whole life and death thing…) and totally agree with you on this complaining thing. I’m going to try to be complaint free…and if I stumble, I’m going to get back up again!
Prayers and blessings, Sweet Mama Beth!
Rebecca
I missed this yesterday, but I will accept the challenge for today. (Other than complaining about my headache.)
Reminds me of Larnelle Harris’s song “I Choose Joy”…So when I wake and stumble to the mirror And what I see makes me wish that I could stay in bed. There’s a power deep within my being, And it commands my soul to keep praising the Lord With every breath. I choose joy I’ll never let the problems keep me down. Cause I know the Lord will work things out For my good. I choose joy.
Thank you! I prayed this exact thing this morning (God knows.) My yappy mouth needs to be quiet and used for counting blessings and lifting up. What an encouragement this word is. Praise His name. May God richly bless you for what you do, Beth and team.
This is actually Tuesday morning, and boy did I need to read this! After sleeping in a little too late and not getting the quiet time with God that I love very early in the morning, not getting to the gym like I had planned, and rushing to get things done before teaching piano this afternoon, I’m with you Mrs. Beth….I needed to choose some joy. I just spoke to the Lord, OUTLOUD about it. Please keep these blogs coming, they are so encouraging to me…..especially as I am navigating the waters of newlywed life. 🙂
I just got to read this so it is Tuesday morning, but I am so on board with this! It is so funny because I have a weekly planner called Everyday Joy!
The verse for this week is Psalm 100:1 “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.” Last week’s verse was 1 Peter 3:14 “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.”
Choosing Joy!
xoxoxo
Victoria
I was telling my husband this morning, if we would change our mind-set, we could set our whole day in motion ,so I choose to be full of joy and have a contrite heart 🙂