“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.” Philippians‬ â€2:14-16‬
Being around someone who is always complaining, bickering, and grumbling is exhausting - they have the uncanny ability to suck the life and air out of a room. It's draining and far from life-giving. We avoid these individuals in the hallways, sigh when a text from them pops up and hit ignore when they call.
My One Word for 2022 is "breath", beginning the year in the hospital with covid double pneumonia, not being able to breath, and having to retrain my lungs and body to breath after getting out, I thought it was a fitting word. Also because every day felt like running a marathon last year, and I've grown tired of being breathless. There is a quote from the book Breath by James Nestor that struck me, and has remained at the forefront of my mind ever since ready it, “Maybe life is not about the number of days we have, but more so, the number of breaths we have." Our breath is a precious gift, one we often take for granted.
So, with a rekindled focus on investing my breath well, I'm learning that complaining or arguing are poor investments in breath for several reasons. First, a lot is at stake with every single word we speak. It is heartbreaking to see how numb we are to wielding sarcasm, passive comments, and even social media posts to talk negatively or poorly towards each other. The way James, the brother of Jesus, wrote about our words should alert us. He wrote, "With it, we bless our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God." (James 3:9).
Every word I speak (and you as well) invests in people in one of two ways: life or death. Jesus knew how much of a struggle we would have with our words, so He provided His life as the perfect example of how to breathe worth, life, love, and dignity into others. Jesus spoke words of affirmation to women, outcasts, and the oppressed. Jesus responded sharply, but never demeaning, to the Pharisees and other religious leaders in hopes they would see the error of their ways and use their powers for good. While enduring agonizing pain on a cross, Jesus spoke forgiveness over the ones who sentenced Him to death. And finally, He came back to life and used His breath to call us His children.
If we invest our breath in complaining and arguments, we lose breath for affirmation, praise, worship, and speaking life into others. We would be poor stewards of the original breath God breathed into humanity if we spent our lives using our words to tear people down rather than build them up. Think of the investment you make in your own life when your primary use of breath is to adore, worship, and recognize our Savior for His love and faithfulness.
We have a limited number of breaths in this life, so let's not waste them in petty arguments and complaining, but rather:
Breathe deep and exhale praise.
Breathe deep and exhale surrender.
Breathe deep and exhale encouragement.
Breathe deep and cast your cares on Him.
Breathe deep and love others.
Breathe deep and share Jesus with the world.
What is your relationship with complaining and arguing? Are they a frequent use of your breath? What is at stake with the investment of your breath? How can you use your breath to worship Jesus and affirm others?
Prayer: Father God, thank you for the breath that You have given me. Every day is a miracle because You give me breath. Help me see my breath as an investment and not get caught up in wasting the breaths I have. Let my breaths be a sacrifice for You and investment for others to see You in me. I love You, Father, and pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
