Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become
blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked
generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 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.
(Philippians 2:14-16)
Oh, I have to laugh. Yesterday, I wrote about grumbling. Today, the passage of the day on BibleGateway.com is the one above. Do you think, perhaps, that God wants to get through to me about grumbling? Last night when I came home from doing laundry, my laptop tumbled from my car. I can’t get the electric cord to plug in, which means my computer will only last as long as my battery. I just got it last September. I’m hoping I can get it repaired quickly and without a lot of expense. When I got up this morning, the dog wanted to go out and Dad woke up. That meant taking care of his vitals. His blood sugar was low. His temp was low. I’m not feeling especially stellar.
The first question I need to ask myself is “Am I grumbling?” Grumbling is complaining or protesting about something in an ill-tempered but typically muted way. Worse yet, “whine” is a synonym. But what’s the difference between grumbling or whining and persistently making taking our requests before God?
I think the answer is a familiar one… attitude. Persistently taking our requests before God is an act of hope. We do it with an expectation of change. Grumbling and whining is an act of rebellion. It is sitting down in the middle of the mess and refusing to budge (even if we keep trudging along in the desert.) It is holding on to the problem, not the solution.
This is part of my trouble. I don’t see a positive future. I see a continuation of wherever I am. That’s probably not unusual, but I recognize it in myself. That brings me back to yesterday’s lesson: wait three days, because things change. The key isn’t really the three days. It’s that things change. Dare I hope that they change for the better?
PS. I write my blogs the day before they are published. As an update, the issue with my computer has been resolved at the cost of driving to and from the store.
Oh, I have to laugh. Yesterday, I wrote about grumbling. Today, the passage of the day on BibleGateway.com is the one above. Do you think, perhaps, that God wants to get through to me about grumbling? Last night when I came home from doing laundry, my laptop tumbled from my car. I can’t get the electric cord to plug in, which means my computer will only last as long as my battery. I just got it last September. I’m hoping I can get it repaired quickly and without a lot of expense. When I got up this morning, the dog wanted to go out and Dad woke up. That meant taking care of his vitals. His blood sugar was low. His temp was low. I’m not feeling especially stellar.
The first question I need to ask myself is “Am I grumbling?” Grumbling is complaining or protesting about something in an ill-tempered but typically muted way. Worse yet, “whine” is a synonym. But what’s the difference between grumbling or whining and persistently making taking our requests before God?
I think the answer is a familiar one… attitude. Persistently taking our requests before God is an act of hope. We do it with an expectation of change. Grumbling and whining is an act of rebellion. It is sitting down in the middle of the mess and refusing to budge (even if we keep trudging along in the desert.) It is holding on to the problem, not the solution.
This is part of my trouble. I don’t see a positive future. I see a continuation of wherever I am. That’s probably not unusual, but I recognize it in myself. That brings me back to yesterday’s lesson: wait three days, because things change. The key isn’t really the three days. It’s that things change. Dare I hope that they change for the better?
PS. I write my blogs the day before they are published. As an update, the issue with my computer has been resolved at the cost of driving to and from the store.
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