Shine On!

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:14-15).

Wait! Another "all things" command!

(And there I go breaking it already)

Does it ever stick out to you how often people grumble? Complaining, murmuring, muttering under their breath...

Mom tells them to pick up their room.

Dad tells them not to come back too late.

The boss says, "We've got a new policy."

The teacher says, "Don't forget to study for the test on Friday."

It seems like grumbling is a natural, even expected, response.

And that's why Paul says that we can "shine as lights in the world" when we choose not to grumble or dispute.

In the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, that thinks it's perfectly normal to complain and argue, your choosing not to follow that pattern will make it clear to others that there is something different about you.

And really, that shouldn't be all that hard.

We just need to change our perspective.

It's not about me and what I want.

It's only temporary. Eternity is much longer than this short life with it's challenges.

It's an opportunity for me to grow in submission to authority.

Can you think of other perspectives that can be changed to help you shine in this dark world?

You're a selfish pig!

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?" (James 4:1).

Usually, we think the other person starts an argument.

He did something.

She said something.

If she weren't so...

If he hadn't been so...

But James wrote that the cause for fights is not the other person. It's you. You're the one to blame.

"Your passions are at war within you."

Your desires are driving you. They are controlling your thoughts, words and actions.

What you want to satisfy your desires is greater than what you know is the right thing to do.

In other words, the arguments that you get into are because you are being selfish.

You're a selfish pig!

And that's an important lesson to remember.

When you realize that you are a selfish pig, you'll be willing to stop fighting for your rights and desires.

When you realize that you are a selfish pig, you'll be willing to stand up for the truth and not your wishes and dreams.

It's not a matter of becoming a door mat. It's not even a matter of just sitting back and letting the other person have whatever they want.

It's a matter of standing up for what God says is the right thing to do, to say and to be.

God's goal for you is to become like Christ. God's goal for the other person in your argument is to become like Christ.

So rather than wasting your energy to make the other person to be like you, (i.e. do what you want to do because you want to do it!), use that energy to help them to become like Christ.

Change your passion to becoming like Christ and let that passion drive you.

Those opportunities for argument will become opportunities for you to become like Christ.

Kwitcherbellyachin

It's easy to complain.

Everyone else is doing it.

We can easily think of excuses not to do something.

And we love to hear our own voices. So it's easy to spit out those complaints.

There's always something to complain about.

Complain about the weather. Complain about the boss. Complain about work. Complain about the kids. Complain about the spouse.

And we usually think that our way is the best way to do things.

Arguing is so easy.

But Paul wrote:

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Phil 2:14-15).

When we choose to "do all things without grumbling or disputing" we will "shine as lights in the world."

We'll be different.

Radically different from everyone around us.

So as you go through the day, choose not to complain.

Choose not to argue.

And you'll shine!