“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you
may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above
reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you
appear as lights in the world…”
Philippians 2:14-15
The computer is refusing to work. It has decided only to print every other
document that is sent to it. The boss is
rumbling around like a champagne bottle that has been shaken a bit, and the
lady waiting to be helped at the desk is beginning to turn an interesting shade
of red. Her voice is getting louder and higher pitched by the moment.
Right now, I have a choice.
What I want to do is grumble under my breath (loud enough for everybody
to hear, of course) something about being the only one to do any work around
here. What I would love to do is to pick
my computer up and heave it out the window.
I would also love to tell my champagne bottle boss to put a cork in
it. I could do any of those things, and
most people would tell me that I was justified.
I was just reacting under stress as any normal person would. But that wouldn’t change the fact that I have
a personal witness as a Christian in the workplace, one that could easily be
damaged by any of the above actions.
Paul is suggesting that if we simply conduct ourselves
without grumbling or disputing, we will show ourselves to be blameless, above
reproach, and we will shine as stars or lights in the midst of our generation. That’s all.
Just don’t complain. Don’t
grumble or argue. Seems simple enough,
yet we know that controlling our tongue is no easy matter. For many of us in fact, it’s one of the
hardest parts of living the Christian life.
Prayer is a part of everyday life.
Worship is a joy. I hunger for
God’s word. But my tongue seems to get
the best of me far too often.
As I go through my day, Lord, help me shine. Point out every time I grumble and whine
about where You have put me or what You are asking me to do. Let me be a light in the midst of a perverse
generation.
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