Hi. My name is Emily, and I’m addicted to whine.

[Hi, Emily…]

I’ve pretty much had a problem with whine my whole life, and chances are, you struggle with it too. After all, whining is so… easy.

Thankfully, there are three practical – and very easy – things you can do if you want to reverse the flow of whine in your life:

1. Change your words

Start using “get to” instead of “have to.” When you say you “have to” clean your house, you’re implying that the task is an unwelcome chore and you’re merely a slave to the mess. When you say you “get to” clean your house, you’re subtly reminding yourself that you’re blessed enough to have a home, you’re blessed with material possessions to fill the home, and you’re blessed with the physical ability to clean the home. “Have to” is the beginning of whining. “Get to” is the beginning of thanksgiving.

2. Change your posture

When Hannah cried out to the Lord because she longed for a child, her grief definitely had an element of whine to it – so much so that the prophet Eli thought she was drunk! But after she poured her heart out to God, Hannah changed her posture. She got up, “went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast” (1 Sam. 1:18). When you’re tempted to whine, it helps to change something about yourself physically. Get up. Take a shower. Get dressed. Eat. Exercise. Put on makeup. Fix your hair. Brush your teeth. These little actions can help combat a whine addiction in big ways.

3. Change your focus

Our circumstances are magnified when we focus on them. Small problems grow larger. Inconveniences become impossibilities. Obstacles become roadblocks. But when we focus on God instead of our circumstances, HE is the one who grows larger. In Psalm 13, David begins by pouring his heart out to God. “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” It could be the beginning of a whine fest, had David continued on that path. But the last line reads, “I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.” David’s whining ended because he changed his focus from himself to God.

So if you’re feeling a little whiny today and can’t seem to get out of your funk, don’t fret any longer. Change these three things and you’ll be well on your way to breaking that whine addiction!

What helps you the most when you find yourself whining and complaining?