¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or questioning, ¹⁵ 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, ¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labour in vain. ¹⁷ Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Whining

My son has been working hard on perfecting his whining technique.  He is 5, so I don’t get too worried yet.  His hero, Cailllou, has far exceeded Daryl’s whining and he’s only 4.  Daryl has a teenage shoulder sloop and also an overstated pout.  He is able to forget any previous reward or gift he has received and find something exceptionally small or insignificant that he is being denied or someone else has and he doesn’t.

I wonder if he has learned much of this from me.  I find that I do not always see the things I have that I should be grateful for.  The grass on the other side of the fence looks greener, but of course it rarely is.  The common factor in each of these things is that I am seeking what I want for myself rather than evaluating what is best for everyone else.

If unity is to be preserved in the church, home, school, or work people have to put their grumbling to one side.  The best way is for people to become unified around a larger goal – something bigger than themselves.  For the Christian this is always possible.  We are always to focus on the cause of Christ.

Prayer

Father, help us to complain less about what is going on around us.  Help us to see the greater good and help us most of all to see how the cause of Christ is furthered.

Questions

1. What might be the cause of grumbling in Philippi?
2. How does grumbling affect a church?
3. What would be Paul’s remedy?
4. What do you grumble and complain about?
5. How would a positive attitude stand out in your church, family, work, or school?