The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 2:14-15,
"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.'"
The term grumble refers to griping, complaining and whining. I note in the New King James Version of the Bible, the term "complain" is used here. What Paul is telling us is: do whatever it is we do without complaining and arguing.
I suspect most of us subscribe to the understanding that a lifestyle of arguing is not what the Lord wants for us. It doesn't provide for an effective approach in sharing our faith and an argumentative person hardly looks like someone folks might want to follow if that is what it looks like to be filled with the Spirit. Is that the kind of spirit anyone might be interested in being filled with?
However, what really catches my eye this morning is the grumbling part, the complaining part. I'm not sure we all are on board with this - I know I have not been. Is it really important? Where does not complaining fit in God's estimation of things he does not want his children to engage in? Most believers would agree that those who engage in sexual immorality or theft run against what God asks of us - but so too is complaining.
This morning I heard a pastor, Will Bowen, interviewed on Fox News. He says ten million people in 106 countries have taken the challenge of not complaining for 21 days. At the end, most find they have lost the stomach for complaining and it has had an impact on the happiness they experience on a daily basis. At the end of the three weeks they don't feel like complaining. I'm not sure we need to be looking for some personal enhancement before we agree to do what the Lord has asked of us, but it is interesting to see what happens to people when they follow proscriptions the Lord provides us.
It got me to thinking of fasting. Maybe I could refrain from complaining, like these other folks, just like I have fasted from food in the past? Forgoing something I usually engage in, as during the Lenten season? After thinking of these things this morning and then opening Philippians, I find myself face to face with the apostolic command: do what you do without grumbling, without complaining.
Paul tells us that if we do what we do without grumbling or arguing among those of the world, we will "shine among them like stars in the sky...", Philippians 2:15.
Again, how important is this? I suspect is boils down to whether we want to delight the heart of our Lord, or find ourselves disappointing him. In any event, I'm going to give it a whirl. After all, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I have been told to do so. How about you?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
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