We thank You,
Father, that there is so much about our lives that is so very good. The basics
are covered and more than covered. And so many of the optional things of life
are also ours. You have provided abundantly in so many ways, and we are
grateful.
And yet, we also
have those areas of life that are difficult. And we feel those difficulties
from time to time. And it's in those situations when we are tempted to
complain. And if we give in to that temptation, we become like everyone else.
So, Father, first we
want to tell You how we regret those times when we have fallen into that sin.
Sometimes there have been words that express our complaints, and sometimes it's
just a lousy attitude. But in either case, we have no excuse. We do repent and
ask for forgiveness because of Jesus.
Father, we ask for
the grace to be able to avoid not just a complaining spirit but even the
discontent that lies behind it. Grant to us the grace we need to trust Your
wisdom. And grant us the grace to submit to Your will. After all, the
difficulties of our lives, whatever they may be, are ours because of You. They
are sent our way by You.
We also ask for You
to teach us, Father, how to complain to You like the psalmists do, instead of
complaining about You like so many others do. You do care about us. And You are
eager to hear from us as we deal with these hardships. Teach us to believe that
and, as a result, to speak to You about these things, asking for the grace to
accept them and to persevere through them.
A great need of our
day is for Christians to live like Christians and in this way display the fruit
of the Gospel to the many clueless people around us, people who are making a
mess of their lives because they really don't know how to live well. Grant us
the ability to rejoice in what You are doing with us, even when there are
tears. We ask for this so that the people around us would see the difference
between their lives and ours, a difference that could lead to conversations
about the Gospel. Grant this to us so that we will be able to bring others to
You, others who will join us in worshiping You, the only living and true God.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.