Researchers now believe that people complain because the brain loves efficiency and doesn’t like to work any harder than it has to. When you repeat such activities as complaining, your neurons branch out to each other to ease the flow of information. This makes it much simpler to replicate that behavior in the future (like complaining). Every time this electrical charge is triggered by complaining, the synapses (information from one neuron flows to another neuron across a synapse) grow closer together. "The brain is rewiring its history circuitry, physically changing itself, to make it easier and more likely that the proper synapses will share the chemical link and thus spark together--in essence, making it easier for the thought to [be] triggered," author Steven Parton explained. The thought, in this case, is linked to complaining. Perhaps it is time to rewire our brains because as Christians, we are allowing our fault-finding to consume us. In the process, this can hurt our walk with the Lord and could make us miss out on what He has for us. Here is how complaining is stealing your blessings.

You miss out on good friendships.

Complaining about others will never add any joy to your life or the joy of others when you hang out. You are the company that you keep. Ever notice that when one person in a group complains the direction of the conversation goes downhill? You could be talking about so many other things that would bear fruit like what God is working on in your life (maybe it is complaining). Engaging in a round of complaining may not seem like a bad decision in the heat of the moment. But a lapse in judgment could make you a person to be avoided because no one wants to be around a complainer.

You miss out on being healthy.

No one likes to be sick, but if you are a chronic complainer, this could be impacting your immune system. When you complain, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol. You know that fight-or-flight mode that puts you into survival mode? Your blood pressure rises and blood sugar spikes to help you prepare. Just like stress, cortisol impairs your "immune system and makes you more susceptible to high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. It even makes the brain more vulnerable to strokes," Dr. Travis Bradberry shared.

You pollute your thought life.

There is enough drama in life, why add to the drama? If we are feeling bad about ourselves, we might feel more compelled to complain when things stink in our lives. If our thoughts are toxic, we might be oblivious to them as you formed a bad habit. You have the choice to use your thoughts for the good or for the bad. What you do today is important. Let it be something good and edifying. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God," Philippians 2:14 explained.

You are missing out on peace.

We need to have peace in our lives as this is a blessing that we can't be missing. When we complain we essentially are throwing away our peace. Complaining gives fear a hold in your life. When the Israelites were traveling to the Promised Land, they came to the outskirts. They sent 12 spies out and 10 came back with a bad report, proclaiming that they will never be able to take on their enemy. "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us. The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size," it was recorded in Numbers. Complaining stopped the harvest of the Israelites and they lost their peace when they were on the verge of a victory.  

You may miss God's breakthrough.

The Israelites had a history of complaining and this is why they kept wandering the desert for years. Complaining can make you miss what God has for you. Reflect on what He has done in the past. For the Israelites, they forgot how God delivered them from Egypt and provided a way of escape through the Red Sea. When they did arrive at their new land they complained that they would not have enough to eat, surely God would have provided them with what they needed. When you complain, there is a good chance you will be led by your feelings and miss out what God is saying to you. You might even miss out on your miracle.  

You could stifle happiness.

People who complain are not happy people and this is not what God wants for us. In Psalms, we are reminded: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season." No one is happy when they complain about things on a regular basis, so catch yourself when negativity sneaks in.

Complaining does feel cathartic at the moment and there is nothing wrong with venting. Yet, it is deceptive and can be chronic. When this happens, it can steal what God has for us.