The Culture of Complaint: From Grumbling to Godly Gratitude

Feeling lost in today's headlines, seeking God's truth for our chaotic culture. Welcome to Truth Unveiled with Ralph. We'll cut through the noise guiding you to biblical discernment for your faith, your finances, and your life.Now here's Ralph Estep Jr.

Hello and Welcome to Truth Unveiled with Ralph. It's an absolute blessing to be with you here again today. My purpose with this show is pretty simple.I. I want to take the swirling off and unsettling headlines of our world.You know, the news that can make your stomach nod and if we're really not careful, make our spirit worry and gently lay that besides the timeless, comforting and incredible, powerful truth of God's word. Listen, we're not just here to gather information.We are truly here to transform our perspective and to build unshakable faith and to find true, lasting freedom. That freedom is not just in our circumstances, but deep down in our souls. Because here's the truth.As Christians, our lives are intertwined with our faith, and our spirits are designed to flourish. So today, I want to talk about a topic that, if we're honest, probably hits closer to home than we want to admit. And that's the culture of complaint.And more importantly, how do we move from grumbling to godly gratitude? I thought that would be a great topic for today, but let's start by naming the enemy.I'm going to call the enemy the quiet thief, because that's really what. That's what it is. And how that constant grumbling steals our peace and it steals our blessings.I want you to just pause right now and think about this for a moment. I want you to just honestly reflect on your week, maybe your day. Hey, even for you, it was the last hour.Have you ever noticed how effortlessly complaining slips into our conversations? I don't know about you, but it's so easy to slip in there, into our thoughts, and deeply into our very culture that's all around us.Seriously, think about it for a second. In many ways, it's almost the default setting.Everywhere you look, you turn on the news, and it's a relentless cascade of what's wrong with the world, what's wrong with leaders, what's wrong with society. You scroll through social media and it's a constant stream of outrage and grievance and just pure negativity.People tearing things down, highlighting every single flaw of every single person, every injustice, every frustration. Hey, then you get to work. Or maybe you're talking with family and the conversation just naturally slides into what's annoying.You know what's annoying, what's unfair, what's broken. It's like complaining has become the common language we all speak. And if we listen, it's really become the background hum of our modern lives.And listen, if I'm introspective and I'm being totally honest with you right now, I am certainly not immune to this culture of complaining. I don't think you are either. Because we all fall into it and let's be real, let's be really real. Sometimes it feels good in the moment, doesn't it?Feels good to complain sometimes, like you're getting something off your chest, like you're connecting with others who feel the same way as you do. Sometimes it even gives you a little hit of satisfaction, sigh of frustration. That's the initial part of it.But have you ever stopped to truly consider what this constant grumbling, this pervasive spirit of complaint is really doing to your soul, to. To your spirit? Think about it like this and be real honest with yourself right now as you're listening. Does it make you feel more peaceful?Does that constant complaining make you feel more peaceful? Or does it actually make you feel more agitated? Here's another question. Does it make you feel more hopeful, all that complaint?Does it make you feel more hopeful? Or does it actually make you feel more cynical? And last but not least, and this is the big whopper one, does it help you see God's blessings?All that complaining? Does it help you see God's blessing? Or just highlight everything you think is wrong? Those are tough questions, aren't they?And for so many of us, this constant stream of negativity, whether we're dishing it out or just soaking it in, it's like a quiet invisible drain on our spiritual lives. It's a slow poison that corrodes our inner peace. It saps our joy, it dims our outlook.It makes us relentlessly focus on what we don't have and what we can't control, what isn't fair. And if we're not careful, and I'm saying this truthfully, if we're not careful, it can breed a deep seated bitterness in our hearts.I look around, that's what I see right now in our culture, this deep bitterness. And it's deep seated in our hearts, it makes you feel like a victim, always the mercy of your circumstances or other people or the system.Like they used to say in the 70s, the man. And it can lead to this crushing sense of discontentment where nothing ever feels quite good enough.You might even start to feel entitled you start to say to yourself, I deserve better than this situation, than this life, than these circumstances. Man. I've certainly felt that at times. How about you? And here's the insidious part.When you're always focused on complaining, it makes it incredibly hard to actually see God's goodness, to see God's provision and to see his blessings in your life. It's like you're wearing a spiritual dark glasses.If you're not careful, you start to miss the daily miracles, those quiet mercies, and the simple gifts that God pours out every single day in our lives. If you're not careful, your heart becomes hardened to truly experience joy. And this isn't just like being that Debbie Downer.This is a deeply spiritual problem that wounds your relationship with God. Hear me right now. This wounds your relationship with God. It wounds your relationship with others. And guess what? It even wounds yourself.Because it affects your mental peace, it affects your spiritual well being, and it affects your ability to truly live out your faith with power. And I don't know about you, but it can suddenly steal your sleep, it fuel your anxiety and rob you of the very peace God longs for you to have.Hear me right now. God longs for you to have peace. It's not a good look, is it? But now I got to ask a bigger question.Does God's Word, written thousands of years ago, have anything to say about this constant spirit of complaint that seems to be everywhere today?Does the Bible offer a different way to live, a different way to respond to the frustrations of life that actually brings freedom and true spiritual abundance instead of just more bitterness? I'm going to tell you right now, you can breathe a sigh of relief again because guess what? It absolutely does.And this truth, if you embrace this truth, it can radically transform your heart. It will bring you spiritual clarity and it'll fill your life with joy that complaining could never steal. Well, let's open God's word together.I always want to start there and let's hear what he says about this powerful spiritual shift. And it's from grumbling to godly gratitude. That's why I named this show what I named it. This episode is all about from grumbling to godly gratitude.And listen, this isn't just about being polite. That's part of it. But it's about aligning our hearts with God's will for our spiritual flourishing. So first, let's get into the word.Let's go right to the book of Philippians, chapter 2, verse 14. It's short but it's incredibly direct commandment. It says this. Do all things without grumbling or questioning.Like I said, it's short, but it's to the point. All things. Think about that for a second. Not some things, not a few things, not most things. All things. Not just the easy stuff. Yeah, that's right.Not just the easy stuff. Not just when you feel like it. Oh, I feel like not grumbling today. No. And not just when everything is going your way.It's easy to be content when things are going your way, isn't it? All things. Now listen, this verse doesn't say to do more things without grumbling. Doesn't say that at all.It means every single thing you face, the good, the bad, the annoying, the unfair. Do it without complaining. It's a direct challenge to the complaining spirit that so easily takes root in our hearts.It literally commands us to resist the urge to complain, to question God's ways or even just life circumstances. Imagine, if you will for a moment the peace that comes from embracing all circumstances, all circumstances, knowing God is in control.I don't know about you, but just think about that for a second. How impactful that is. Well, let's now go to the book of Thessalonians first. Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse 18.We get another absolutely powerful truth. Are you there? Here's what it says. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. For you said all last time.Now we're saying in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. A big thing you need to understand. I'm not talking about for all circumstances, but in them. Just think about that for a minute.Meditate on that for a second, because this is huge. It means even when things are tough, life is tough. Even when you're in pain. Hey, a lot of us are in pain.Even when life feels hard, even when relationships are strained, even when you're facing injustice, God's will for you is to still find a way to give thanks. And here's the thing you need to hear right now. And this will stop you in your tracks. This isn't just a suggestion. It's God's will for your life.See, it's a spiritual weapon against the spirit of complaint.Because it forces you to focus on God's character and his presence, even when your circumstances are difficult, even when your circumstances, frankly, suck. This is where real spiritual power comes from. And that real spiritual power is the foundation of true peace. Knowing God provides for your spirit.Now let's look at the book of Colossians, chapter 3, verse 17, because it ties it all together beautifully. And here's what Colossians 3:17 says.And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. I want to read that again because it's so impactful.And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. What is it telling us? Whatever you do, guess what? That covers everything. Everything.Your work, your family time, your conversations, how you spend your time, how you interact online. Do it all in Jesus's name and do it given thanks. Well, let's stop for a second, think about that. All things in Jesus name.Pretty tough to complain and grumble if you're doing it in Jesus name, isn't it?And see, this verse elevates gratitude from just a fleeting feeling to a way of life, a constant spiritual discipline that honors God in every single thing that we do. See, in honesty, it's about putting God's glory at the center of every action. And gratitude. Listen to me. Gratitude is the expression of that.Now let's ask the simple question, where does this gratitude lead us? It leads us to God's presence. Look at the Book of Psalms, chapter 104 invites us. Enter his gates with thanksgiving. Go into his courts with praise.Give thanks to him and praise his name. See, here's the thing you gotta understand. Gratitude isn't just an emotion. It's so much bigger than that. It's a pathway.Gratitude is how we step into God's presence. It's how we step into his joy and into his peace.Because when our hearts are full of thanks, when our hearts are truly full of thanks, we're positioned to truly experience Him. And here's another thing you might not want to hear, and I've had to embrace this myself. Think about this for a second.The act of complaining, that grumbling, guess what it does? It actually pushes us away from God. Just pushes God away. But gratitude, on the other hand, it draws us in closer.It makes us receptive to his wisdom for our lives. Let's look at the Book of Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 20.Throw in a lot of scripture today because it's so important, because I want to reinforce this same truth. This is what it says.Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 20, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always and for everything. That's a huge challenge, isn't it? That gets hard, doesn't it? See, our culture's trained us to give thanks for what's good. Oh, these things are great.I give thanks for that. But God calls us to give thanks for everything. Now, you might be saying, okay, Ralph, great. I'm gonna. I can pretend.No, no, this isn't about pretending everything is perfect. Because guess what? Here's the truth. Everything's not perfect. Everything will not be perfect. There are going to be problems in your life.But it's about trusting that God is working. And in all things for our good and his glory. In all things for our good and his glory. And that brings us to the profound truth.In Romans, chapter 8, verse 28, it says this, and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. That verse right there, if you think about it, that verse is the cornerstone of Christian faith. It's the cornerstone of Christian hope.It means that even in the midst of trials, even in the midst of the storm, even when things look bleak, even when we want to complain, we can choose gratitude. Because we trust that God is bigger than our circumstances. Hear me on that. We can trust that God is bigger than our circumstances.He can weave even those ugly threads of life into a beautiful tapestry for our good. Hear me on that. And this understanding transform our complaints into potential praise, are burdens, into testimonies of his faithfulness.Let's think about some other powerful biblical examples. The Bible is full of these. Look at the Israelites in the wilderness. Picture yourself back there. You're the Israelites.You're wandering in the wilderness, constantly grumbling about manna, about water, about Moses, Moses, where's he taking us? About God? Just constantly grumbling and complaining. And what happened to them? Think about that for a second.Their complaining kept them from the promised land for 40 years. It was an obstacle. It was a spiritual disease that cost them greatly. It cost them their full experience of God's blessings.And a generation, a generation of people missed their promised future. Let's talk about Paul in prison. Nobody wants to talk about this. Here's Paul in prison. He faced incredible hardship. He was beaten.He was in shipwrecks. He was rejected. Yet his letters written from prison are absolutely full of joy. They're full of praise, and they're full of thanksgiving. Why?Because he chose gratitude in his suffering. And that's why his message still rings with power today. Because he understood that true spiritual freedom wasn't found in comfort.He didn't have comfort. He was in prison, he was shipwrecked, he was rejected. But it wasn't found in comfort. It was found in Christ.A truth that impacts every area of our lives, including our spiritual perspective. See, this isn't just theory. This is a call to radically different way of living and a radically different way of seeing the world.It's about choosing gratitude, not flimsy emotion. Not some flimsy, oh, I'm going to be. I'm going to be grateful today. That's a good emotion. No, no, no.But as a deep act of faith and worship, that reshapes your heart, it reshapes your reality. And hear me on this. Even your spiritual outlook.See, here's the stark, sobering difference between what culture often pushes and what God truly calls us to. And it's a crucial choice that we make every single day, every time a frustration pops up.Let's talk about culture's way, the, what I'll call the shackles of compl. Because if you're like me, you look around the world and the world has made complaining seem normal, even justified in some cases.Hey, it's okay to complain. It encourages a relentless focus on what's wrong. Can you believe that? I can't believe they did that.A focus on what's missing or if I only had that, I'd have a great life. If I only had that. And what's unfair, that just isn't fair. I'm gonna complain and grumble about it.And it tells us that constantly airing our grievances is a form of self expression. Hey, it's. It's a way to self express yourself. It's a way to connect with others or even a necessary way to fight for what we deserve.I'm gonna crumble, I'm gonna complain. I'm gonna get what I deserve. Think about that path for a second. Because truth is, it does offer some fleeting satisfaction.You feel good in the moment. I feel good. I complained. I spoke my piece about it. But in the end, it leads to soul draining spirals. Spirals of bitterness. Just makes you angry.Cynicism, you just become negative about everything. Discontentment, envy, spiritual blindness. This is what it leads to.It drains our joy, it hardens our hearts, and it makes us feel like perpetual victims, just never satisfied with what we have. Always chasing the next thing. And it keeps our eyes fixed on problems. And guess what?When our eyes are fixed on problems, guess where they're not focused on God. They're not focused on God. And it suddenly encourages us to feel entitled to more I don't know about you, but I've felt that many times.Rather than grateful for what we have and see, that mindset is terrible. It actively hinders our spiritual growth. It hinders our peace and keeps us in a cycle of discontent. Are you in a cycle of discontent right now?Because it can also make us feel spiritually dry. It makes us feel distant from God.Because grumbling heart, let me tell you right now, what does the scripture say a grumbling heart can't truly worship. Well, that's culture's way. But you're listening right now because you know there's hope, there's God's way. And I call that the freedom of gratitude.Because the Bible calls us to be an active, intentional and spirit led practice of thanksgiving. It's a choice.It's a minute by minute, hour by hour, daily choice about choosing to see God's hand in all circumstances, acknowledging his sovereignty and finding reasons to praise him even when things are tough, even when you're in the storm, even when you're in prison, when you're shipwrecked and you're rejected. Now, I want to be honest with you.This path, it requires a lot of effort and for most of us, if we're going to be honest with ourselves, it's a big time shift in perspective, effort and shift in perspective. But here's what it leads to. It leads to immense spiritual and emotional benefits. It leads to peace that transcends understanding.That's right from the scripture. It leads to uncontainable joy. Imagine trying to, trying to grab joy and keep it in you can't even contain.Leads to deep contentment to the core of your soul. It leads to humility, a deeper, unshakable trust in God and the ability to see his blessings everywhere, even in difficult seasons.Because it frees us from bitterness and it opens our eyes to his abundant provision and fills our hearts with genuine praise. It transforms our outlook from victimhood from victimhood to victorious living, allowing God's presence to flood our lives even amidst challenges.And you know, if you live life like me, life can be challenging. It's a decision, it's a path. It's not an easy path, but when you do this, this path cultivates a spirit of abundance.And that abundance leads to greater spiritual vitality and discernment. It makes our faith more vibrant. It makes our relationships richer and our hearts more pliable to God's will. Let's think about that again.What I talked about at the beginning, that culture complaint, what does that Culture complaint do well if we're going to be honest with ourselves. It demands your energy to dwell on what's lacking.You spend all your time about, oh, I wish I had this, I wish I had that, I didn't have this, I didn't have that. And what's wrong? Culture complaint, it feeds your frustration. It's like a gasoline fire.Just keep on pouring, more complaining, grumbling on top of it and it just keeps flaming up and it steals your peace. But God's truth, just think of it for here just a second. God's truth. It invites you to the transformative power of gratitude.A spiritual discipline that unlocks joy, it unlocks peace and a true sense of his presence, no matter what's going on around you. That is a path to true spiritual, emotional and abundant freedom in Christ. So now you're saying, ralph, great, that's what I want to do.I want to live that spirit filled life. I want to live in that gratitude. But how do we actually live out this liberating truth in a world that seems to thrive on complaining?Ralph, I hear what you're saying, but all around me, it's all around me. How do we find that unshakable joy and take faithful action when our natural inclination lists in our flesh?Let's be honest, our flesh is to grumble and worry about our lives. Well, I've got some ideas.Some actionable steps today focused on cultivating a grateful heart for spiritual wholeness and living more intentionally as a Christian. Are you ready for these? Let's start with this. It all starts with a gratitude practice that fits your life.If you really want to break free of this, make gratitude a daily intentional habit. Now this isn't just about feeling thankful. You can feel thankful, but actively expressing it.One of the things I encourage on my daily show is you could start a gratitude journal. Maybe every day. You just list three, four or five specific things you're grateful for each day. Or maybe for you. Just speak it out loud.Make it a verbal practice. Hey, maybe tell your family. Or maybe just quietly ask God and say, listen, God, I just want to thank you for everything in prayer.Tell them what you're thankful for. Because, friend, here's what this does. This simple, consistent practice powerfully shifts your focus from what's wrong or what you lack.It completely flips it to what God has faithfully provided and it actively rewires your brain. Hey, we need to rewire our brain. Sometimes it does that and it makes your heart see God's goodness.And that right There is a powerful antidote to anxiety and discontentment. So here's what I encourage you to keep a small notebook by your bed, or maybe on your kitchen table. Or maybe you're like me, you're a techno nerd.Keep an apple in your phone and just make a morning routine that lists things you're grateful for before the day even starts. Or maybe do it as an evening routine to reflect on the blessings from the day you can even think about starting.Maybe you can set an alarm halfway through the day to pause and just give thanks for something simple like a warm cup of coffee or a moment of quiet. Because that practice, and it is practice, it's going to be a job. It's practice builds a mindset of spiritual abundance. So that's the first thing.Gratitude journal. Second thing I'm going to encourage you to do is implement a complaint fast, like Ralph. Where are you going with that one?Just fast from it and practice during that fasting period, what I'll call practice mindful language. Maybe you challenge yourself for a set period, maybe 24 hours, maybe a week. Or just to completely eliminate complaining. Hey, maybe you're like me.You got to just figure out how I'm going to get through the next hour without complaining. And I'm talking about not complaining verbally, not complaining mentally. It's a challenge, isn't it?But when you catch yourself about to complain, get ready to complain.Or maybe you're like me, you're already complaining immediately, pause right there, put the stop sign up and try to reframe it with gratitude or hopefulness or some faith filled perspective. Because our words shape our reality and our words shape our attitude. And complaining becomes a deeply ingrained habit.And like any habit, breaking that habit requires conscious spirit led effort. It's going to be an exercise because this exercise makes you acutely aware about how often you actually grumble.And it gives you the power to choose a different, more constructive response. And this is going to directly impact your spiritual perspective, moving you towards godly solutions. You might be like, great, Ralph, I love the idea.How do I make that happen? One of the things I think you can honestly do and an easy thing to do is get an accountability partner.If possible, have somebody that you can talk to. Say, I was getting ready to complain, but I called Joe and Joe told me, stop complaining, Ralph. And when you feel complaint rising, just stop.And as soon as it starts, ask yourself this question, what can I be thankful for in this situation instead of complaining? Or maybe you got to go a little deeper and say, hey, what's the next right godly thing to do here?You feel that urge to complain, you feel that urge to grumble, you stop and you redirect your energy from grievance to solution or to praise. Now you ready for the hard part? Almost didn't put this into today's talk because this is really hard, but I'm encourage you right now.Practice gratitude in tough times because it's a sacrifice of praise. See, if you want to be honest with yourself, this is the highest, most powerful level of gratitude.Choose to give thanks even when things are genuinely hard. You're going through a tough time, you're going through a painful time, or when things are unfair. And I'm going to stop you right now.It's not about being thankful for the pain. I'm not saying that. I hear knuckleheads out there all the time. Well, I'm thankful for God's put me through this pain. That's nonsense.Don't be thankful for the pain, but to be thankful in the midst of it for God's presence there, for lessons learned, for strengths developed, and for that hope that you feel in his unwavering promises. I don't have time to cover it right now, but look at the book of Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 15.The kind of sacrifice of praise it talks about when you're in a storm, when you're in those tough times, because it's going to demonstrate deep, unwavering trust in God's sovereignty and goodness. Hey, even when we don't understand his plan. You might be Ralph, I don't understand it. Why has God given this person this? I will tell you right now.When my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer, it was very difficult for me to say, well, I'm going to praise God in this. No. I cursed God to be very honest with you. I said, God, how could you do this? My mother's always lived a good life. She was a good person.Not that that matters, but she was a Christian person, a Christian woman, a Christian mother. And I said, God, why would you do this? Why are you putting her through this? And I'm not going to lie to you.There were several days where I just said, you know what, God, I'm done with you. I can't take this anymore. But then I thought about that sacrifice of praise.And I was so thankful at that moment that he was there with her when she went through that surgery that didn't go well. And God was right there with her when she didn't recover. And he was right there with her as I was when she breathed her last breath.That's where I found gratefulness, in the storm, in the deepest part of despair. And see, when you can do that, it's a powerful act of faith that breaks the grip of despair.It ushers in God's presence, and it helps you maintain spiritual discipline and wisdom even when emotions. And let me tell you right now, holding your mother's hand as she's going to see Jesus is an emotion that if you ever feel it, you will never.You will never forget it, because it's so easy for our emotions to lead us astray in that moment. But if we can look to Lord and say, lord, I'm thankful for you being here with me as I face this.So when you're facing a struggle, identify one small thing that you can still be grateful for. Hey, it might be something as simple as, like, hey, there's breath in my lungs. The sun is shining above me.Or maybe it's so bad, I'm just simply grateful that God is here with me right now. And that's when you drop to your knees and you pray. Specifically, you say, lord, I don't understand this. This is my very prayer.I said, I don't understand this, Lord, but I thank you for the faithfulness, for your presence, and for your promise that you're working all things for good. Sitting there, looking at my mom breathe her last breath. And that was my prayer. And I said, help me see your hand even now.Now I want to give you a couple other things that I think can really help you, because we gotta break free from this cycle of grumbling and complaining. And part of that is a mental and relational health. We gotta focus our life and focus our spiritual.One of the things I think you've absolutely got to do, because honestly, that's why I do this show. I talk about culture all around us, but you got to start filtering your input with a gratitude lens. Okay, Ralph, you lost me on that one.But be highly intentional about what you consume from the news and from social media. Yeah, I said it. I just crossed the third rail, Right? What did I say?You got to be intentional about what you consume from news and social media, because guess what? They build that grumbling. They build that constant state of complaining. And you may have to make some difficult decisions.Maybe you gotta unfollow some accounts or mute sources that consistently fill your feed with negativity or with outrage or endless complaints that clickbait. Yeah, it makes you react. But are you reacting in A positive way? Are you reacting in a godly way?Are you reacting in a way that says, lord, I see you in this? So I just want to encourage you, actively seek out sources of truth. Seek out sources of inspiration and seek out sources of genuine positivity.And put those other things, put that other crap to the side. Because here's a simple truth. What we consume shapes our minds, and it shapes our spirits.And if we have a steady diet of complaint and negativity, we will breed in cynicism, we will breed in discontentment and even anxiety, yes, even anxiety within us. And protecting your inner world from this toxic input is crucial.It is absolutely essential for cultivating a grateful heart and a clear mind, discerning truly God's will. So you might be saying, ralph, yeah, I want to do that. It's all around me. I get it. I see it now. But how do I make that happen?I'm gonna encourage you. Take an audit of your social media. Look at your social media. What is it doing? What are you seeing there?And if you have to unfollow accounts that constantly make you angry, yeah, they could be right, but they're making you angry. Unfollow accounts that make you envious or hopeless.Because, listen, you may have to curate your news sources to include those that are factual and avoid. And it's going to be difficult, avoid that sensationalism. It's all around us.And instead, choose things that intentionally point to God's goodness and beauty and aligns with your goals of spiritual confidence. Another thing I think will really help you. It's helped me immensely, and that's make praise and worship your default spiritual posture.A lot of people say, ralph, man, how do I do that? And this is an intentional kind of thing, but you can actively integrate praise and worship into your daily life.I'm gonna tell you right now, I did this myself about seven or eight months ago. I felt like I was getting drug into the Fox News and the CNNs and the MSNBCs and the blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and the Facebook, this and all.And I said, you know what? I'm gonna turn it off. And I'm a guy was listening to Fox News whenever I was sitting here at my office desk.I had the news on, but I knew I had to change something because I didn't like the way it was making me feel. So for me, it meant listening to worship music.Yes, worship music found myself singing aloud, and I found myself speaking words of praise to God throughout my day. Let me tell you right now, First, I didn't really feel like it. I was thinking, what am I missing? What's over there on Fox News that I'm missing?Because here's the thing. Praise and worship are direct antidotes to complaining. They just are. They're like the secret medicine because they lift our eyes from our problems.It's easy to stay focused on our problems. And, hey, we can cheerlead for the bad news. Everybody likes bad news.Everybody likes to drive down the road, you see a wreck, and everybody's looking, oh, look at, there's a wreck. We got to get beyond that. We got to lift our eyes from our problems to God's greatness.And we got to understand his power and understand his love and the worthiness of. Of all of our thanks to Him. Because when you. When you put yourself in this worship mode, it actively combats that spirit of grumbling.You can't grumble when you're listening to God's word and when you're. When you're enveloped in that music and that and that praise music, because it fills your spirit with the Lord's peace. And here's the best part.It allows you to approach life from a place of rest and a place of faith, and it completely battles that fear. So here's my challenge for you. Create a worship playlist for your commuter while doing chores. I actually now have a YouTube list of worship music.And when I'm feeling that stress of life, just click on that button. People around me like, man, you listen to that stuff? I'm like, yeah, guess what? It's changed my perspective. It's changed my mindset.Maybe start your morning with a worship song. And then, like me, when you feel a complaint rising, just replace it with a word of praise or a line from a worship song.Here's another thing I'm going to encourage you to do, because this will help you battle that fear, battle that feeling of being constantly grumbling. Become an encourager. You can do this. You can speak gratitude into others lives.And instead of participating in those complaint sessions around the water cooler or with your family, become a person who actively speaks words of gratitude and encouragement into the lives of others. All right, Ralph, you got me. How do I do that? Well, thank people. Thank them generously not to. Oh, thank you for holding the door.You could care less while they held the door. Be genuine about it. Affirm other people. Point out their blessings. See, here's the thing.You can't speak words of complaint and words of gratitude with the same breath. Try it. I Tried it before. I recorded today. You can't do it. And choosing to encourage others not only blesses them, it does bless them.They will grow in their faith because of it.But more importantly, or it may be as equally important, it also cultivates a spirit of gratitude within you, because all of a sudden, you become a source of life and you become a source of light, not a source of drain and a source of negativity. And what I have found, this dynamic can even open doors for spiritual connection and shared wisdom you might learn from this person.So here's my challenge for you right now. Make it a goal to offer a genuine compliment or a word of thanks to someone every single day.I once went to a training session, and this particular fellow said, I try to compliment my wife seven times a day. I thought to myself, wow, that's a lot. And he says, yeah. And I quickly learned you have to be genuine about it. So be genuine about it.And when a conversation turns negative, gently try to steer towards something positive or maybe provide a solution or maybe disgraceful. Say, you know what? I'm kind of tired. I'm gonna. I'm gonna go over here now. Because you can be known as someone who sees the good and shares it.You know, that person that sees the good in everything. I'm gonna challenge you right now. You can be that person and share that.See, the culture complaint is a very real, tangible pressure that seeks relentlessly to steal your peace. It seeks relentlessly to steal your joy, and it seeks relentlessly to steal your hope.And it just insidiously tells you that dwelling on what's wrong is how you cope. It's how you connect it. But it drains your spirit, and it pulls you away from a vibrant, fulfilling life.But on the other hand, God's truth calls us to something infinitely richer, something profoundly deeper and something. And hear me on this wonderfully more satisfying he calls us to act of gratitude.A spiritual discipline opens the floodgates of his joy and peace in your life, leading you to become truly confident in him. And here's the thing I want you to understand. You are absolutely not alone in feeling this pressure. I think I've been very candid with you today.I feel it as well. But more importantly, God sees your frustrations. He feels your weariness, and he senses your desire for true peace.And he offers you a way to transform your heart to find joy even in the messy middle, in the middle of that storm, and to truly see his hand in your life, regardless of your circumstances. And see, here's the little secret he offers. A peace that isn't dependent on everything going your way. Because guess what?Doesn't always work that way. But his peace is his unfailing love and eternal truth. So I'm going to challenge you right now. Let's choose today.Let's choose together to courageously resist the complaining culture. Let's choose genuine gratitude over grumbling.Let's choose intentional praise over cynicism, knowing that the truest joy, our deepest security and our most fulfilling purposes are found in truly walking with God, seeing His blessings and living with a thankful heart. Because this is where real freedom is lived. This is where spiritual wholeness blossoms and where true Christ centered confidence is found.So as we wrap up today, I want to share something even more important than cultivating gratitude or finding true peace in this chaotic world. It's about the deepest connection of all.And that connection is a personal relationship with God Himself, the One who created you, the One who loves you beyond all measurements.If you've been listening today, perhaps feeling that heavy weight of the world, that constant grumbling, or feeling that emptiness deep inside you, that no amount of complaining, no amount of negativity can completely fill that, or you're trying hard to even fill it.And maybe right now your heart's been nudged just gently and you're starting to realize that the only real lasting security and peace comes from God Himself. And maybe you've never truly given your whole life to Jesus Christ.You might have heard about him, perhaps, but I'm taking that vital step of trusting him completely. I just want to tell you right now, he is the one who conquered sin. He is the one who conquered death.And yes, he even conquered that grumbling spirit and the despair of this world. And he offers not just good advice for life, but eternal life and a true relationship with God that absolutely nothing can shake or steal.Because that is the foundation of ultimate confidence.And if you feel that gentle push, that stirring in your spirit right now, if your heart is saying yes, I want to invite you to pray this simple prayer with me right now from the deepest part of your heart. Just say this. Dear Heavenly Father, I know I'm a sinner and I really need your forgiveness.And right now I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is your son. And I believe that he died on the cross for my sins and that you powerfully raised him from the dead.And I confess my sins right now and I just humbly ask you to come into my life. I give you my life today, completely. I choose to follow you Jesus as my Lord and my Savior, starting now and forever.Thank you for your amazing love and for the precious gift of eternal life. And I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.Hey, if you prayed that prayer or even if you're just thinking about it, if you're feeling that nudge, I want you to know that heaven is celebrating your decision right now. You are now a loved child of God and your spiritual wealth is safe with him forever.And I want to just encourage you to share this decision with a trusted friend, a trusted Christian, maybe you know, a pastor or you're welcome to reach out to us at Ask Ralph Media. We would love to hear from you and help you figure out your next steps in faith.Finding a good Bible believing church home is super important for your growth in Christ. So if you made that decision, just go to truthunveiledwithralph.com/decision and I would love to talk to you one on one.So I just want to thank you again for joining me on Truth Unveiled with Ralph.I just ask that may but God would just richly bless you as you live for him in every part of your life, finding your peace and how he takes care of you in him. And I just want to encourage you, join me next week as we keep unveiling God's truth in a world full of questions.And if you are getting value from this show, I want to encourage you. We're just getting started but share it with somebody. Share it with somebody. Just say, hey, check out Ralph. Check out Truth Unveiled with Ralph.Just send him a text, send him an email. Maybe when you're talking on the phone, say hey, I'm really getting something from this but I'll see you again next week.And until then, walk in faith, learn with wisdom and live confident in Christ. God bless you.