Complain Too Much about Family, Friends?

Some people you know (might even be you) complain an awful lot about family members they supposedly "love so much" and "want what is best" but the truth is they are deceiving themselves to remain in relationships that often leave them feeling empty.

Relatives and friends aren't all good or all bad, but they exist and some either welcome themselves into your life or you invite them in to stay forever or always or kick them out.  The problem is that so many push away the wrong ones and keep the troubled folks near.  Why is that?  People with many issues like to stay close.  They are the ones who feed off the family love, respect, generosity and more and are also rewarded even when their mind and spirit aren't right.

The common belief is that because someone in the family is around meaning the one who is doing much that he or she should be compensated or given gifts just because.  But I disagree, I believe that God blesses those who are His own and not family favorites.

It's time to start thinking about those who smile in your face and often complain behind your back.  People who appear to be friendly, but are really more than nothing but vultures.  It is time to be free of status quo thinking of service equal reward and think more in terms of "What does my God think?"

Like the Israelites who complained much about their environment, what they ate, rules, and more, so too do ungrateful, rude, and backsliding family and friends.  Don't entertain them in your homes or welcome them to eat at your gatherings, negative people who are negative with others will eventually be negative with you.  We forgive but we don't forget about the lessons we have learned being mixed up with people even God has cursed.

Nicholl McGuire

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You never know what to expect with some family members.  They can say and do some of the most shocking things.  I recall a time when I would call certain relatives on the phone then about half way into the conversation, they are sharing something they did that was irresponsible and downright crazy.

When you have weird, wild, or way off kind of folks, here's what you can do to keep yourself out of their energy-draining conversations while safe-guarding yourself and family in the future.

1)  Don't entertain strange conversation by agreeing or disagreeing with it.  The more you react to what they say, the more likely they will tell you the kind of things that you just don't want to hear or get involved in.

2)  Avoid the places they go if you know you sincerely can't put up with their behaviors.  If you go somewhere that you really don't want to, knowing full well you don't like one or many people there, you will end up feeling quite disappointed if they should come up to you and start saying or doing something you just can't keep quiet about.

3)  Just because they are family doesn't mean you have to introduce them to everyone you know.  Who came up with that idea anyway?  Some people are so persistent about wanting to get to know their family members' associations.  Well when it comes to those, who you know are mentally draining, you just might want to save your social circle from some headaches as well as yourself the embarrassment by not bothering to ever introduce them to your troublesome kinfolk.

4)  Say a prayer.  You will need a faith to in order to deal with the spiritual issues that some loved ones bring to you and others.  The key to dealing with people who seem to have a rain cloud over their heads is to not offer an umbrella when you know that they keep leaving home without it.  If you continue to be that one everyone runs to when they are in trouble, weak-minded individuals will never learn from their mistakes.  Rather than helping them out, what you are really doing is starting to rely on them needing you.  Unfortunately in time you may grow to resent them if you should keep bailing them out of their circumstances.

As much as we love some of our strange family members, there comes a point when we must let go and let God especially when their weirdness seems to be wearing off on us.

Nicholl McGuire

How to Resolve Family Conflict