Robert Taylor

If you haven’t noticed, houses are getting bigger. Less than 50 years ago, a regular house had 1500 square feet. Today it is 2500 square feet or more. That is with fewer people living in the house. While you may not know of anyone named “Jones,” keeping up with them drives the size. As one business school teacher noted: To be clear, having more space does generally lead to people saying they’re more pleased with their home. The problem is that the satisfaction often doesn’t last if even bigger homes pop up nearby. If I bought a house to feel like I’m “the king of my neighborhood,” but a new king arises, it makes me feel very bad about my house. It is an unfulfilling cycle of one-upmanship. It comes down to want, not need. Such problems are not new but as old as mankind. Agur the wise man observed, “The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. “There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:” (Proverbs 30:15) To the man who wants more and bigger, it is never enough. To the man who has God’s blessing, it is more than enough. Are you blessed or obsessed? It may be time to look at the size of your house. -Robert G. Taylor-  

Akitoshi Okamoto learned the hard way that complaining does not pay. Okamoto was irritated with his phone service. He complained about connectivity issues. He wanted an apology from the company in person. Then, when that did not work, he started calling the company and hanging up when it was answered. Each day he placed 33 of these called. In one week, the total was 400. In total, he made 24,000 complained calls. Finally, the police got involved and arrested Okamoto who was charged with fraudulent obstruction of a business. As far as anyone knows, his complaining did not work. As modern life gets more harried, we complain more. Service slows. Traffic worsens. Waiting rooms in medical facilities grow longer. We complain when life doesn’t cooperate with our plans. We make our irritation known…loudly. Yet, Christians are not called to be complaining people. They are to look at a bigger picture, one that has God the giver at its center. Paul told the Philippians, some of who needed the mind of Christ, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing,” (Philippians 2:14) The measure of a complaining life is what is not right. The mark of a blessed life is to see what God has done. It may never get you arrested but complaining will never help your life. Now, what’s your complaint? -Robert G. Taylor-