Key Verse: “Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.” (Philippians 2:14-16 CSB)
There is no shortage of things to complain about – the weather, traffic, politics, Mondays, the lineup at the drive-thru – just to name a few. Some people seem to have mastered the art of being negative and finding reasons to grumble or find fault.
Billy Graham once wrote, however, that, “A spirit of thankfulness is one of the most distinctive marks of a Christian whose heart is attuned to the Lord.” To encounter the living God and have a heart that has been truly transformed by the good news of Jesus should never result in complaining, but rather with overflowing thankfulness. The gospel should always lead to gratitude.
In Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, he called the people to do away with a complaining attitude. “Do everything without grumbling and arguing,” he wrote to them. As children of God who have been made “blameless and pure” through Jesus Christ, put away the natural tendency to complain, regardless of the circumstances of your life.
Why is this so important? What is the motivation behind a life filled with gratitude instead of grumbling? Paul reminds us that we are to be “children of God who are faultless in a crooked and twisted generation.” As such, we are called then to “shine like stars in the world” around us. Part of the way we accomplish our mission of shining the light of Jesus Christ into the darkness around us is through a life of unceasing gratitude.
The reality is that we live in a culture that has turned away from God and chosen the path that is morally corrupt. Not only does our culture do the things that are evil in God’s eyes, they “even applaud others who practice them” (Romans 1:32). But as children of light, we have the opportunity and privilege of shining the light of Jesus into the darkness so that people would turn to Him. As the watching world sees the followers of Jesus choosing gratitude over grumbling, regardless of their circumstances, it is a testimony to the transforming reality of the gospel.
So how do we go about putting away grumbling and choosing gratitude instead? Paul tells us that it is, “by holding firm to the word of life” (v.16). The gospel is the key to gratitude. The more we stop and stare at the incredible reality of all that Jesus has done for us, the more our hearts will overflow with gratitude.
Are you prone to grumbling and complaining? Are you quick to be negative and to find fault? Remember the gospel. Stop and consider again at all that Jesus has accomplished for you. Remind yourself of all that you have received in Him. As you do, invite the Spirit of God to flood your heart with unceasing gratitude. Choose gratitude over grumbling, and shine the light of the glory of Jesus to the watching world around you.
Prayer: Jesus, there is every reason to be thankful today, because of all that you have done for me. Flood my heart again by your Spirit with gratitude and joy. Help my life to shine the light of Jesus into the darkness of the world around me, as I choose to be thankful regardless of my circumstances. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
