"Enjoy The Ride"

"She was a caboose who disliked being last with an endless black cloud of smoke rolling past." "The engine up front always wore a big smile as he lumbered along for mile after mile."

Katy was unhappy with her life. She complained about being last, the smoke and the noise. She looked all around her and saw things she wished she could be -

"…something quiet and simple like a lovely elm tree or a ramshackle barn all alone on a hill…"

She wished she could get loose from the train and stay in one of the nice quiet places she passed by. Having no choice, she continued on the track and complained all the way about her situation. Then one day someone said to her,

"I’d like to be you."

She couldn’t believe that someone wanted to be her.

"’From now on,’ Katy promised, ‘I shall never complain. I’ll be a happy caboose at the end of the train…’"

"…with her new point of view she enjoyed the long ride; it was fun on a trip through the broad countryside."

At the end of the story, the caboose is thrown free from the train and lands smack in-between two evergreen trees. The caboose is never found.

"At last she was free, just as free as the breeze, and how Katy did love it up there in the trees."

I recently read a children’s story called "The Caboose that got Loose" by Bill Peet. Katy spent so much of her time complaining and wishing she were somewhere else. It wasn’t until after she stopped complaining that she was able to enjoy her life and notice how many beautiful things there were around her. Eventually she ended up where she wanted to be.

Complaining has that effect in our lives. Not only do we not have what we want, but what we do have becomes more and more unacceptable to us. The Israelites are a prime example of this.

"And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron…"

Numbers 14:2

The Israelites had finally reached the promised land, but when they got there, they had a list of complaints.

"Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there."

Numbers13:28

The people are too strong, and they have a good defense. Moreover (as if that wasn’t enough grumbling), they are giants. They grumbled and complained until they even thought that going back to Egypt would be better than going in and fighting for the land that was promised to them.

"So they said to one another, ‘Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.’"

Numbers 14:4

We find God’s response in verse 23

"…shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it."

The promised land represents the life God promised us.

"…and it certainly does flow with milk and honey." Numbers 13:27

Complaining keeps us from having the peace and joy that God intended for us. Egypt represents our life of sin before God saved us. Not only was the complaining keeping the Israelites from God’s promise for their life, but it was about to cause them to turn their backs on God and return to the bondage they had in Egypt.

What should we do about this? What is the opposite of complaining? The Bible talks about being content.

"…be content with your wages."

Luke 3:14

"Therefore I am well content with weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12:10

"Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I will say, rejoice!"

Philippians 4:4

So that’s easy to say: Rejoice, be content. How do we do it? Paul tells us in the next verses.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace that passes all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

God knows we have wants and needs. He says we have not because we ask not. God is a loving father. He wants to bless us. We must come to the point where we can ask Him for something and know that if it is His will He will do it. If it is not His will, we didn’t need it in the first place.

" And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

His riches and glory far exceed even our own imagination.

Paul doesn’t stop there though. He goes on to say in verse 8:

"Finally brethren, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."

Complaining doesn’t fit into any of these categories. The more good you put in your mind the more good will come out in your life.

"For as a man thinks within himself, so he is."

Proverbs 23:7

Paul says dwell on these things. It is not an easy thing to change the way we think. In Philippians 4:9, Paul uses the words: "practice these things…" And in Philippians 4:11 he says "…for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." Practice and learn. These are actions we must take to make the change in our thinking. The good news is that we don’t have to do it on our own. We are never alone.

"Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?’"

Hebrews 13:5-6

The Israelites thought it was impossible to enter the promised land. They forgot that God promised to go with them. We all have things in our lives that we must overcome, but we often make a mountain out of a mole hill by the way we think. We must learn to trust God and rely on His resources.

What is our reward?

"…and it certainly does flow with milk and honey."

Numbers 13:27