day 388: Double Whammys

A few months ago I wrote a post called "Stop The Complaining!" (day 369). That post resonated with a number of people as they said to me that being a complainer at work is one of the easiest roles to slip into. I then wrote another post called, "The Last Word" (day 374) that talked about the arguers at work and how we should avoid arguing all together and not fall into the traps of people who like to pick a fight and suck us into email arguments, etc. After thinking about these two topics more it dawned on me that complaining and arguing are like the evil twins of the workplace. They are the double whammy's that some people have built their work persona around. We all know them and can't say that we love 'em. They are the first person to have the negative point of view and no matter what they will fine something to complain about. I once worked with a person who was always looking for why he was not included or involved so everyone would go out of their way to include him in meetings and conversations that he didn't really need to be included. After all of this effort one day he complained to the group that he was too busy being in meetings to get anything done. I thought the rest of the room was going to reach across the table and strangle him when he said that. And when he wasn't complaining he was arguing. They go hand in hand as two tools that people use to build themselves up and tear down other people. As believers and people who are committed to working God's purpose in our jobs, we cannot be one of those people. We must take the high road that God shows us and not fall into the trap of being a complainer or an arguer. Paul says it to us in Philippians 2:14-15 and he also tells us that those who are complainers and arguers are trying to pull us down; "In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people." He then goes on to say that if we can rise about the rest of the ways of the world that we should, "Let your lives shine brightly before them". You won't win any awards or get a lot or recognition from not falling into the trap of becoming a complainer or an arguer, but you can know that you will work without blame and that God's light can shine through you onto others. Those are two great positives to eradicate the double whammy's of complaining and arguing.

Reference: Philippians 2:14-15 (New Living Testament)