Philippians 2:12-16 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.”[c] 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.
The Apostle Paul calls us to shine like stars in a dark world!
He tells us that how we do what we do is just as important as what we do. Paul says don’t be a whiner. Don’t be argumentative. Paul said in I Thessalonians 5:18 that we are supposed to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus. Giving thanks in all circumstances is the will of God. Could it be that when we grumble or when we argue, we have temporarily lost sight of the will of God in some situation?
There is always something God wants us to accomplish no matter where we are and no matter what we are experiencing because of what is going on around us. Complaining and arguing diminishes our light. It clouds up our witness. It covers the life of Christ. Jesus was so devoted to the will of God, that He said it was His food. He was constantly focused on discerning and doing the will of God, and He wasn’t going to whine or argue about what God wanted Him to accomplish.
I think Paul helps us see that when we complain and argue with people we are adding to the darkness of this world. The last thing a believer needs to be is a contributor to the darkness.
This life will always give us a reason to complain, but God says, instead Take every opportunity to shine. God says, “Don’t show your frustration to the world. Show Me to the world!”
Let me talk for one more second about the second piece of Paul’s admonition. We are to do everything without arguing. I’m not talking about stating facts. I’m not discouraging education or correction. Arguing has a different tone entirely. Arguing only escalates and grows a conflict.
James has something to say on this subject. He says that arguments aren’t the result of what other people say or do, but that they have their origin inside of us: “Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves.” James 4:1 (MSG)
Being argumentative, James says, is a sign of wanting our own way. Listen, for the sake of Christ and the advancement of the Kingdom of God, there are many times when it is far more advantageous to walk away than get our way in an argument.
So, not only do we need to display the right attitudes in order to shine, but we also need to hold onto the Word of God, verse 16. Paul called it the Word of Life here.
The Bible is the way to higher ground. Hold onto it, and don’t let go for anything. When the storms of life hit, call on the promises of God. Read through the Psalms to help you deal with your emotional disappointments and stresses. Let the Holy Spirit come alive in fresh and new ways as God speaks to you. Reading the Word of God will put you safely in the arms of God where you can be held and reassured until the storm passes.
The Bible isn’t just the story of history. It is your story. It is my story. History is still being made, and the Word is still informing all things that are happening today.
Read and study it so that you can have discernment when you are being tested or when you hear something misquoted or twisted to support evil, you will know how to take a stand against it. Hold it in high esteem. Don’t let anyone tell you it is a myth or a fairy tale or a nice book about a nice man who showed us a nice way to live as if it was a book of suggestions. No, it is authoritatively supreme. It is commanding and powerful. It is a Sword with which to fight off Satan and all demonic forces. It will bring recovery, renewal, and reward to your life. Continue to be convinced by the Word. Continue to give it supremacy in your life.
You want to be a difference-maker? You want to make the world a brighter place in which to live? You want the life of Jesus to be easier for people to see and desire? Shine the light by living with the right attitudes and actions and by holding up and holding onto the Word of God.
