Philippians 2:14-16a - The Danger of Discontent

Philippians 2:14-16a

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will 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, 16 holding fast the word of life.

Message: The Danger of Discontent

Time: AD 62. One of the 4 prison epistles. 

What the Lord is Saying: This was the message at our church, Hoffmantown, on Sunday, February 14, 2025 by Lamar Morin. I was struck in a way by the simplicity of the message. His premise began with discontent we often feel from social media platforms. He mentions that we are to live without grumbling or disputing and this is on the heels of verse 12 in which Paul says we are to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling." This is what is said first and foremost as to how we are to live. 

He mentioned that when adversity comes our way, we tend to blame others or God. We don't fault ourselves or our sin or rejoice even that we are in this trial. Arguing comes from pride or discontent and we are to be about the opposite. Complaining is offensive to God. Wouldn't it be great if people saw this in us - no complaining and grumbling. Wouldn't we stand out everywhere, at home, and at work. In other words we are found to be blameless. We live in such a way that we are found to different from the world. The tragedy is most Christians look the same as non-Christians. The only difference is they go to church. Thus, a walk that doesn't equal their talk. People are watching us. 

I was impressed with this passage. It is a rather simple command from verse 14 and in looking at different translations I see this as do all things without grumbling, disputing, arguing, complaining, murmuring, questioning the providence of God. And we do this and live in this way, "so that you may be God’s children, blameless, sincere and wholesome, living in a warped and diseased world, and shining there like lights in a dark place. For you hold in your hands the very word of life" (J B Phillips translation). There is a great result to this sort of behavior in our life. Once again, I was struck by my attitude at times toward those near me, even my wife and maybe my critical way toward her and her weight. And think about the way I live at work, complaining about things. Instead of praying through tough situations and trusting and encouraging, I model complaining. I am to be different so that people can see a difference. 

I went to an Alexander Maclaren sermon on this passage called "Copies of Jesus." He says, "The ‘murmurings’ are not against men but against God. The ‘disputings’ are not wrangling with others but the division of mind in one’s self-questionings, hesitations, and the like." So while this verse has application to grumblings and complaining in my life, when I do those complaints, I am really complaining against God for his hand of providence in my life. 

Summary: Don't grumble and as a reward I will be show to be a person people admire, all for the glory of God.

Prayer: O God, help me in those states I get in when I am discontent and dissatisfied and thinking that surrounds on me. I don't trust in others and think instead people are tired of me. help me to not listen to those attacks by Satan who convinces me that I am the problem and along the way I am not being effective any longer. O help me father in my daily self-talk to glorify You and not seek my own ways as the best way. Help me to be a team player versus thinking it must always be about me. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Hebrews 13:17 - Lay Duties: Obedience

Hebrews 13:17 - Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for they would be unprofitable for you. 

Message: Lay Duties: Obedience

Time: Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who had suffered in the past and were now threatened with even more suffering. They'd done well years ago, but the author of Hebrews feared that they might now turn away from Christ to avoid further persecution. The opinions on the author of Hebrews has varied.

What the Lord is Saying: After a quick read of chapter 13, it reads like a summary of encouragement to people that they need to remember to do: show hospitality to strangers (v.2), remember prisoners (v. 3), hold marriage in high view (v. 4), be free from the love of money (v. 5), imitate those who led you (v. 7), do not be carried away by strange teachings (v.9), through Jesus, continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God (v.15), don't neglect doing good (v. 16), and finally obey your leaders (v. 17). 

In verse 7 are the words Remember those who led you...imitate and now here is versus 17 is more - obey your leaders, and submit. The leaders are they who keep watch over your souls. The idea here is not simply to listen, but be ready to comply with their wishes and requests. And as we submit something happens to our leaders. It says that have joy and not grief. The greatest joy and encouragement we can give to our leaders is by doing what they ask. Boy, this is hard. It takes me out of my comfort zone because I only want to do what is comfortable. 

I admit a struggle with this at times and I think in the Church we are often quick in these latter days to offer our opinions on whether we should submit or not. Even in the reading today from Tabletalk, most of the lesson speaks of how we need to only be submitting to leaders that are preaching the word of God correctly and we have no obligation over those who do not do this. For me, this speaks to our times and the constant commentary we have on life. We would rather talk about people than be obedient to them. 

It reminds me of Proverbs 16:27 -- "A worthless man digs up evil while his words are a scorching fire." The Living Bible translates this as "Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; idle lips are his mouthpiece." Perhaps this is a different lesson, but we are too quick to disagree. It seems in our idleness we are quicker to grumble and complain. The idea in this verse is we dig up evil. We look too hard for something that may not clearly be there. 

But the encouragement from all of these verses in Hebrews including verse 7 and 17 is to remember to do these things. I even catch myself doing this. I received an email this past week stating that we need to do a good job as men to serve the women in our church by helping with oil changes. And my first thought is maybe God has something else for me to do. Rather than responding to the call, I wonder if I could do something else. Again, why is my first thought not to jump at it? But rather to wonder if I should. 

Summary: Submit to God-honoring leaders in a way that makes them glad to their jobs. 

Promise: It is easy to gripe and complain about our church leaders, but it is much harder to submit to them as God calls us to do. 

Prayer: O Lord, help me to be one that obeys first rather than does commentary first. Help me to be a person of obedience to my leaders, not simply when I agree with them and their stances. Help me to not grumble. Lord, keep encouraging me in these words to go the extra mile. 

My Utmost for His Highest - April 14th - Inspired Invincibility

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. - Matthew 11:29

    "Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth. (Hebrews 12:6)" How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us into the place where we can have communion with Him, and we groan and say--"O Lord, let me be like other people!" Jesus is asking us to take one end of the yoke--"My yoke is easy, get alongside Me and we will pull together. (Matthew 11:30)" Are you identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God for the pressure of His hand.
    "To them that have no might He increaseth strength. (Isaiah 40:29)" God comes and takes us out of our sentimentality, and our complaining turns into a paean of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and learn of Him.
    "The joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)" Where do the saints get their joy from? If we did not know some saints, we would say--"Oh, he, or she, and nothing to bear." Lift the veil. The fact that the peace and the light and the joy of God are there is proof that the burden is there too. The burden God places squeezes the grapes and out comes the wine; most of us see the wine only. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God in a human spirit, it is an inner unconquerableness.
    If you have the whine in you, kick it out ruthlessly. It is a positive crime to be weak in God's strength.

From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

- Highlights and Underlines courtesy of Mom from her print edition.