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.
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