Shining into the World

Weather. Politics. Traffic. Work. Church. What do they have in common? They’re all things we grumble about, often without considering the impact such grumbling has on our own hearts and our witness for the Lord. Are you a grumbler? When the Apostle Paul exhorted the Philippians to shine as lights in their dark culture, he urged them to stop the natural tendency to whine and complain, even under their breath. “Do all things without complaining and disputing...” Philippians 2:14 (NKJV). Notice the comprehensiveness of this command: all things. All things that God calls us to do in our lives — at home, work, school and church – are to be done without grumbling. Grateful rejoicing, rather than discontented complaining, allows Christians to mature in Christ and credibly extend the gospel to others.