No Grumbling! (Abide Devotion for July 20, 2015)

Philippians 2:5-18

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

⁷ rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” ^u Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. ¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸ So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. ^[1]

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What is striking in this passage is how Paul connects the mission to doing “everything without grumbling and arguing.” Paul points out that in this way, avoiding grumbling and arguing, we stand out in a “warped and crooked generation,” referencing Deuteronomy 32:5. In fact we shine like stars.

Now, this image of shining like stars is a common one to promote our role in God’s mission, our call to be witnesses for Christ, and to bring His light into a dark world. But again I point out that what is driving this whole paragraph is the call to do everything without grumbling or arguing.

How easy it is to grumble and complain and argue! How easy it is to slip into grumbling during conversation, complaining about everything from the weather to our families. But we are called to something different. We are one with Christ. We are one with the Savior who emptied Himself for us, went to the cross for us, and no matter how grumble-worthy this world is, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Him.   Our unity with Christ is to shape our attitude toward others, leading us to be servants that seek others’ needs before our own. But our unity with Christ also is to lead us away from “grumbling and arguing,” as we seek to stand out in this world, shining like stars.

So my prayer today is that I shine like a star by my attitude. I pray that I may indeed do everything I am called to do without grumbling and without argument.

What is the Word leading you to pray about today?

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^[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Php 2:5–18). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.