Quit Your Whining!

Disclaimers: I know I have friends who feel passionately about the bracelets they wear daily, and I have great respect for them and the causes they support. In this post I’m just talking about one bracelet in particular. Also, I thought this poster tied directly into the theme of my post, but halfway through I realized it didn’t. I still think it’s funny though, so I'm leaving it in.

During last year’s local Relay for Life event, I picked up one of those rubber band bracelets. You know what I’m talking about… They come in every color of the rainbow and promote every cause known to mankind. This one was purple, and at first I assumed it was to promote the fight against cancer, since that was what the weekend was about. But when I took a closer look, it read, "A Complaint Free World.org". A complaint free world seemed like a good idea, too, so I slipped it on.

A few days later, as I was dusting my dresser and had to move the bracelet out of the way, I thought, “I should check this out on the web.”

It turns out the bracelets are distributed by a church in Missouri, free of charge, and here’s the way they’re supposed to work, as stated on their website:

Scientists believe it takes 21 days to form a new habit and complaining is habitual for most of us. … The bracelet is a tool to remind you of how well you are creating your life with positive intention. Here are the suggested rules:

1. Begin to wear the bracelet, on either wrist.

2. When you catch yourself complaining, gossiping or criticizing (it’s ok, everyone does) move the bracelet to the other arm and begin again.

3. If you hear someone else who is wearing a bracelet complain, you may point out their need to switch the bracelet to the other arm; BUT if you’re going to do this, you must move your bracelet first!

4. Stay with it. It may take many months but when you reach 21 days you will find that your entire life is happier, more loving, more positive, and more abundant

Complaining/murmuring/whining … I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking the Israelites could have really used two to three million of these during the Exodus…

Also, it’s important to me to say I have a lot of theological differences with this church. I can discern this from simply reading their website, and some of the wording about the purpose and intended results of getting through 21 days without having to move this band from one wrist to the other.

And I’m not wearing a purple rubber bracelet that advertises anything for 21 days, even if I aced the program that quickly. It just doesn’t go with that many things in my wardrobe, yanno?

But I will concede that complaining, gossiping, and criticizing less is a worthy goal, one that would honor God, not to mention make everyone around me happier. So even though I’m not making a fashion statement with a purple rubber band around my wrist, my level of consciousness of these bad habits in myself has been raised somewhat, and that’s got to be a good thing, right?

Maybe someone should just put “Philippians 2:14-15” on a bracelet instead:

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” (NIV)