Joyful Living Devotional - Day 22
Day 22 – No Whining Allowed
Philippians 2:14-15 (NLT) 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 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.
Paul, through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of what was happening to the Philippian church, begins to hone in on what it looks like when they work with the Holy Spirit to realize the reality of a Christ community.
First of all, it is hard work. Spiritual growth, both personally and relationally with others, is not for the faint of heart. However, this is not a self-effort without the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is working in us to work with us, so that He can work through us. How can we, just like the Philippians, know that it is not just self-effort, but a true work of the Spirit?
Paul gives several indicators of what that looks like. There’s effective action. We’ve all heard the old saying, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.” It means that if anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well, and that a well-thought-out process, aka a plan, is essential. Many of us plan our vacations better than our spiritual lives and growth. Do you have a spiritual growth plan? Is it written down somewhere? We work harder on things that won’t matter in the future rather than on what will last forever. We fail to grasp that we must be deliberate in engaging in God’s process for growth. Growth is not automatic. Only weeds grow automatically, but crops that have value need to be planted. What are you planting for a spiritual harvest?
Those who are willing to work on their spiritual growth have a healthy respect and fear of the Lord. They also understand that they don’t work alone and that God does not ask us to do anything He does not empower us to do. The reason some of us don’t grow spiritually is that we have developed an appetite for the things that hinder us rather than help us. Here’s what is so powerful. If we work with God, He will give us the desire and power to do what pleases Him. You don’t have to stress it! You don’t have to sweat it! You just have to pray, plan, pursue, and persist in it.
Another great proof that you are working with the Lord is the absence of a spirit of arguing and complaining. Complaining shows that we are ungrateful. Arguing shows that we are prideful. This word complaining or grumbling is very interesting; it has a special connection to the grumblings of the Israelites in the wilderness (e.g., Exodus 15:24, 16:2, Numbers 16:41). It is the same word Paul uses talking about the Israelites in 1 Corinthians 10:10 (NLT): “And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death.” We know that didn’t turn out well for them, and Paul uses them as a negative example of what not to do. The Holy Spirit’s work in us produces joy, not grumbling, griping, and complaining towards one another.
It’s easy to dismiss our complaining, murmuring, and ill-disputes as simply something that everyone does. That, however, doesn’t justify it or even sanctify it. God’s people don’t whine and complain, criticize and argue, nitpick and express their doubts about everything. There is a peace, a sense of serenity and trust, when we lean on the Lord to work in us and through us.
“We have received too much from God to allow ourselves opportunities for unbelief. We have received too many gifts and privileges to allow a grumbling, murmuring heart to disqualify us of our destiny. In contrast, the thankful heart sees the best part of every situation. It sees problems and weaknesses as opportunities, struggles as refining tools, and sinners as saints in progress.”
– Francis Frangipane
Paul continues to reveal what it looks like to work with the Holy Spirit. We grow in innocence and delight in the process because we want to do what pleases our Heavenly Father! We shine in a crooked and perverse world, marked by God-given innocence. We are not innocent because we haven’t done anything wrong, we are innocent because Christ has made the guilty innocent.
Philippians 2:15 (NIV) So that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”
As we work out our salvation, there is an innocence and purity that mark our inner lives and outward actions, which are evident to those who do not live for Christ. We reflect this purity and innocence not of ourselves but because we are children of God!
Why is our growth so important? Because it shows people that there is a God who loves them and gives a better way to live. Instead of being crooked and perverse, we can live wholesome and pure. When will you start taking your spiritual growth seriously enough to change the way you plan your life? If not now, then when?
Prayer:
Philippians 2:14-15 (NLT) 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 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.
Paul, through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of what was happening to the Philippian church, begins to hone in on what it looks like when they work with the Holy Spirit to realize the reality of a Christ community.
First of all, it is hard work. Spiritual growth, both personally and relationally with others, is not for the faint of heart. However, this is not a self-effort without the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is working in us to work with us, so that He can work through us. How can we, just like the Philippians, know that it is not just self-effort, but a true work of the Spirit?
Paul gives several indicators of what that looks like. There’s effective action. We’ve all heard the old saying, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.” It means that if anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well, and that a well-thought-out process, aka a plan, is essential. Many of us plan our vacations better than our spiritual lives and growth. Do you have a spiritual growth plan? Is it written down somewhere? We work harder on things that won’t matter in the future rather than on what will last forever. We fail to grasp that we must be deliberate in engaging in God’s process for growth. Growth is not automatic. Only weeds grow automatically, but crops that have value need to be planted. What are you planting for a spiritual harvest?
Those who are willing to work on their spiritual growth have a healthy respect and fear of the Lord. They also understand that they don’t work alone and that God does not ask us to do anything He does not empower us to do. The reason some of us don’t grow spiritually is that we have developed an appetite for the things that hinder us rather than help us. Here’s what is so powerful. If we work with God, He will give us the desire and power to do what pleases Him. You don’t have to stress it! You don’t have to sweat it! You just have to pray, plan, pursue, and persist in it.
Another great proof that you are working with the Lord is the absence of a spirit of arguing and complaining. Complaining shows that we are ungrateful. Arguing shows that we are prideful. This word complaining or grumbling is very interesting; it has a special connection to the grumblings of the Israelites in the wilderness (e.g., Exodus 15:24, 16:2, Numbers 16:41). It is the same word Paul uses talking about the Israelites in 1 Corinthians 10:10 (NLT): “And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death.” We know that didn’t turn out well for them, and Paul uses them as a negative example of what not to do. The Holy Spirit’s work in us produces joy, not grumbling, griping, and complaining towards one another.
It’s easy to dismiss our complaining, murmuring, and ill-disputes as simply something that everyone does. That, however, doesn’t justify it or even sanctify it. God’s people don’t whine and complain, criticize and argue, nitpick and express their doubts about everything. There is a peace, a sense of serenity and trust, when we lean on the Lord to work in us and through us.
“We have received too much from God to allow ourselves opportunities for unbelief. We have received too many gifts and privileges to allow a grumbling, murmuring heart to disqualify us of our destiny. In contrast, the thankful heart sees the best part of every situation. It sees problems and weaknesses as opportunities, struggles as refining tools, and sinners as saints in progress.”
– Francis Frangipane
Paul continues to reveal what it looks like to work with the Holy Spirit. We grow in innocence and delight in the process because we want to do what pleases our Heavenly Father! We shine in a crooked and perverse world, marked by God-given innocence. We are not innocent because we haven’t done anything wrong, we are innocent because Christ has made the guilty innocent.
Philippians 2:15 (NIV) So that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”
As we work out our salvation, there is an innocence and purity that mark our inner lives and outward actions, which are evident to those who do not live for Christ. We reflect this purity and innocence not of ourselves but because we are children of God!
Why is our growth so important? Because it shows people that there is a God who loves them and gives a better way to live. Instead of being crooked and perverse, we can live wholesome and pure. When will you start taking your spiritual growth seriously enough to change the way you plan your life? If not now, then when?
Prayer:
- Ask the Lord to remove any murmuring and complaining from your heart.
- Pray: “Lord, forgive me when I grumble and complain about life circumstances and when I argue and murmur against others. Help me to cultivate a heart of gratitude and put a guard before my mouth. Let me reflect before I speak, discern before I complain, and humble myself before I utter words in a prideful manner. Holy Spirit, continue to equip me for every fruitful work, and let my life reflect Your work in me. Help me shine through acts of kindness, purity, integrity, and truth, so that You, Father, may be glorified in me and through me. I commit myself to work out my salvation with a heart fully devoted to Your purpose for my fellow brothers and sisters and for me. Help me to stay in community by working together with others to build Your kingdom. Jesus, I am fully Yours. Change in me what needs to change and let my heart always be filled with gratitude and my mouth with Your praise! I give You all the glory and honor due Your Name. Thank You for loving me and forming Jesus in me. Amen.”
Posted in Joyful Living Devotional