Philippians 2:14-16 The Message
14-16 Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Thinking about our churches, brimming with nostalgic thoughts, we might imagine the early church to be different from any church we might visit today.
John the Baptist is our Senior Pastor, Imagine Peter as your associate preacher or John in charge of pastoral, congregational care. Imagine Thaddaeus is now in charge of the office, bulletin and Bartholomew coordinating church facilities.
Imagine listening to the stories of Jesus from witnesses who walked with him!
The first church in Jerusalem seemed to have everything going for it. Ministry and mission had reached far and wide. People were being converted. The church was growing. And, as in every church, growth brought problems. Greek widows weren’t being served as well or as not nearly as consistently as Hebrew widows.
When a church has problems, and which one doesn’t have its significant issues, what matters is how people respond to the problems. Some respond by leaving.
Other folks stay and murmur. They gongysmos. This Greek word describes the same kind of murmuring the Israelites did against Moses (see Exodus 16:1-3).
Exodus 16:1-3The Message
16 1-3 On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai. The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. The Israelites said, “Why didn’t God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You’ve brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!”
Have you gongysmosed lately?
What does gongysmos mean?
a murmur, murmuring, muttering. a secret debate. a secret displeasure not openly avowed.
Maybe it was something big: “Lately, the preaching seems a bit weak.”
Maybe it was something small: “I hate that decaf we serve at coffeetime.” “I wish they would have more Boston Cream donuts and peanut butter muffins.”
But you may think, “I’m not murmuring, I’m offering a suggestion, I’m being more helpful. I’m highlighting the church problems so everyone can see them.”
Philippians 2:14-16 Amplified Bible
14 Do everything without murmuring or questioning [the providence of God], 15 so that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish in the midst of a [morally] crooked and [spiritually] perverted generation, among whom you are seen as bright lights [beacons shining out clearly] in the world [of darkness], 16 holding out and offering to everyone the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to rejoice greatly because I did not run [my race] in vain nor labor without result.
As humans, we tend default to complain, grumble more often than not.
The other week I was silently complaining because the internet was not running as fast as I needed it to be.
I was trying to find specific Bible verses and hymns and the Internet decided to either freeze up on me or without warning, reset everything so I lost my places.
In a short period of time (a matter of milliseconds), I had instantly managed to become restless and I complained about how “slow” the Internet was moving.
I paused and then I thought it was quite ironic as to how I was searching Bible verses on patience and peace while I myself was being anything except patient.
This moment of automatic complaining taught me a vital valuable lesson—I do need to slow down, choose not to complain, and be patient. The Bible verses did eventually load, I just had to wait a few extra milliseconds longer than normal.
Similar to how I complained about the slow internet, many of us complain over frivolous things.
These things do not truly matter when we look at the grand spectrum of things.
Slow Internets, a delay in traffic, or a forgotten assignment is not going to be the end of the world. This is why we must stop constantly fretting over small things and choose to live our lives separated from a heart of complaining.
Complaining does not normally bring about the beautiful life God wants for us.
The life God has in store for us is one of hope, peace, love, and thankfulness.
The exact opposite of complaining is thankfulness.
The Bible repeatedly encourages us to be thankful as it tells us,
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
14 “Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “[a]I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:1-6 Amplified)
25 “I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the [a]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.] 28 You heard Me tell you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you [really] loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going [back] to the Father, for [b]the Father is greater than I. (John 14:25-28 Amplified)
Rather than complaining, we need to rejoice and be thankful for all we have.
In my case, I need to be still, be quiet, rejoice and be thankful that I have God.
Internet connection, and a computer to work from, Jesus Christ as my Savior.
Pray and pray some more for serenity about those things you can change in order to turn your complaint into praise and a reason to be 1000% thankful.
By praying, by changing our prone-to-complaining hearts into hearts of thankfulness, we will be able to truly serve the Lord and bring Him glory.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Paul tells us in Philippians 2:14-15 we must do everything without grumbling or arguing in order for us to be blameless, pure, children of God without fault in this present too tightly wound up, too tightly wrapped and crooked generation.
Within the concept of grumbling and arguing, complaining can also be used as a synonym for grumbling.
Depending on the version you use, it will either say grumbling or complaining.
In order to shine like stars in this warped and crooked generation, we have to let go of the habit of complaining and arguing.
There is no way for us to shine as stars if we are behaving in the same way as the present generation. In order to shine as glistening stars, we have to stand out from the rest of the world, and this can only be done by living for Jesus.
Living for Jesus means we follow His teachings and commands. Instead of complaining and arguing, we give thanks, rejoice, and be at peace with others.
In our Christian walk, there is no room for complaining or arguing anymore.
We need to repent and turn away from these practices.
From the moment we do this, we can truly shine as beautiful stars in the sky.
In this way, we will be able to help others see the love of Christ.
“Dear Jesus, I often struggle with complaining. Please help me to stop complaining and to, instead, lift up Your Name in praise and thankfulness. Complaining turns me into somebody I’m not, and I don’t want to live in accordance with this practice anymore. Please enable me to shine like a star in the sky for You amongst this present generation. I want to glorify You in everything I do, and I know this is not possible unless I walk away from complaining. Thank You, Lord and Savior Jesus, for listening to, hearing, giving consideration to, my prayers. Amen.”
- Do you currently struggle with complaining? If so, what are some ways you can turn away from complaining today?
- How can you turn your heart away from complaining and towards thankfulness and joy?
- You will shine like a start in the sky once you give up complaining and arguing. How will this help you point others to Jesus?
But the Holy Spirit never nudges us to murmur.
He nudges us to serenity, grace and truth.
And problem solving.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 46
For the choir director; a song by the descendants of Korah; according to alamoth.[a]
1 Elohim is our Machseh and strength,
an ever-present help in times of trouble.
2 That is why we are not afraid
even when the earth quakes
or the mountains topple into the depths of the sea.
3 Water roars and foams,
and mountains shake at the surging waves. Selah
4 There is a river
whose streams bring joy to the city of Elohim,
the holy place where Elyon lives.
5 Elohim is in that city.
It cannot fall.
Elohim will help it at the break of dawn.
6 Nations are in turmoil, and kingdoms topple.
The earth melts at the sound of God’s voice.
7 Yahweh Tsebaoth is with us.
The Elohim of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
8 Come, see the works of Yahweh,
the devastation he has brought to the earth.
9 He puts an end to wars all over the earth.
He breaks an archer’s bow.
He cuts spears in two.
He burns chariots.
10 Let go of your concerns!
Then you will know that I am Elohim.
I rule the nations.
I rule the earth.
11 Yahweh Tsebaoth is with us.
The Elohim of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 