NO COMPLAINT HERE

 

JUNE 19, 2023

Philippians 2:14-15 

“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”


We start our devotions this week addressing something we all deal with to some extent: complaining.

Culturally, it seems we’ve evolved into a culture of complaint, and with this has come less respect for others, anger, and less courtesy. The new normal, seems to be an acceptance to give full vent to every grievance one has.

As followers of Jesus, how do we resist this? How do we carry out Paul’s exhortation to do everything without complaining, that we might stand out as bright lights in a dark world?

This week, as we look more closely into the history of God’s people and their tendency to complain, and a few of the examples that God gives us in Scripture, my prayer is that we will become more aware of our own tendency to grumble and that we will learn to submit our hearts to God in this area, so that we might stand out as “bright lights” in  our world.

REFLECT

What most causes you to complain?

In what ways do you think your complaining has prevented you from standing out as "bright Lights in a dark world"?

LET US PRAY

GOD, you know I am sometimes guilty of complaining and negativity. I ask you to help me recognize negative thoughts that lead to grumbling and complaining, and give me an awareness to look for reasons to praise. Amen.