Don't Be a Goat!

Yesterday in church I was listening to a young lady talking about her nephew's latest visit to the doctor in which the parents were lamenting about his behavior. He had hit the terrible two's. The parents were telling the doctor that all he does is whine. The doctor took the little boy and set him up on the table and said right in his face, "Don't be a goat". "Goats whine, little boys don't."

The message I heard this past Sunday was "Stop complaining". Just stop. You know our words have a powerful influence on others. Just this morning I experienced some complaining and whining first hand with a caller. The talk was all negative and it was hard not to join in. But I didn't. It was like this person was offering me a huge vat of poison to drink. He was being a goat.

I understand the power of words, both spoken and written. So I am not going to complain about complaining. I just encourage you to not to. It really can eat at your attitude, your co-workers, your perspective and worse yet your heart.

Something I learned as a child was:

Is it true?

Is it right?

Is is necessary?

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it. Phillippians 2:14 says, "Do all things without complaining and disputing." There really is nothing else to say except don't be a goat.