“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
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​Is there any kind of struggle or event that you do not think that you could handle?  It is interesting to ponder for a moment.  What if we had to leave our communities because of persecution against our faith?  What if we were falsely accused of a crime and put in prison?  Are we capable of handling the struggles of life? Don’t spend too much time pondering what might happen, but be encouraged to look to Jesus who gives daily strength to overcome such trials. 

​A few springs ago, I borrowed my neighbor’s lawn tractor to work up a patch of yard for a vegetable garden.  Things were going great until I tried to fill the tractor with gasoline.  Pouring the gas was not the problem. The problem was that this tractor’s gas tank was not in the same place as it is on my tractor and I unknowingly filled the hydraulic oil tank with gasoline.  I couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t start again.  Anxiety was building.  Can you picture it?  

​When I think of all the things that sometimes give me reason to complain like ….. other drivers on the road, service at a restaurant or store, the way my spouse does something or does not do something, etc, etc. I wonder how I could possibly not complain? This verse really challenges the way I react and also how I approach some situations.  Because it caught my attention, it motivated me think about the context that it was written. So I decided to explore what the author was writing about when he made the "no more complaining or arguing" statement.