Blameless, Harmless, Light, and Life!
by Heather Tietz
Philippians 2:14-16
Do all things without complaining and arguing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, holding up the word of life, that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain.
Dissatisfaction.
It’s our nature. After all, isn’t that how we begin? Our first communications are cries of discontent: “Where is my blanket? My diaper’s wet!”
Soon, we graduate to words. “Why can’t things be the way I want? This is how I must have it! Listen to me!”
Like a bird intrinsically knows how to root out a worm, no one has to teach us to argue or complain. We come that way. It’s human nature.
It isn’t God-nature, though. It isn’t Christ-like.
Complaining and angry arguing, the finger-pointing, high-pitched, loud-voiced, pressing-someone-to-see-your-way kind, leaves our Christ-likeness somewhere in the hall, along with our patience, kindness, and mercy. It isn’t God’s way.
Goodness is. But how to be good in the midst of a frustrating situation, when complaining and arguing is more natural?
Stop. Ask God for peace. Then think it. Speak it. Pursue it. Let your frustrating perspective change to His grand one. Take a look at your situation from God’s great height.
A God-view will help ease your discomfort. A light will break through that clouded view, enabling you to follow God’s directive: to hold up His light, bringing words of life to a dark, dissatisfied world.
Reflection
What do I tend to complain about? I will ask God to give me peace about those things and to guide me in revising my inclination to grumble.
Prayer
Dear God, Please help me refrain from complaining and retrain myself to not argue. Such things do not accurately represent You. Help me to shine Your light into the world. Please include me in Your plans. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
