What Is There to Complain About? (Philippians 2)

My sister married a sweet guy who has a great work ethic. Though he was not raised a farm kid, he is quick to jump into any project that our family is working on when he is around. One of those projects is putting up hay in the summer.

Haying is a hot, itchy job that makes for a really long day. We enjoy it, but it’s certainly not everyone’s idea of a good time. The first time that my brother-in-law joined in, he concluded the day dead tired but with a satisfied smile on his face. “Haying is hard work!” he announced. “My arms are scratched and I’m sore and exhausted, but it sure makes you feel like a man when you’re done!”

My brother-in-law could have spent the day complaining and made himself and the rest of us miserable. Instead, he chose to see the bright side and we all had a great day. His good attitude made all the difference.

In Philippians 2:14, the Bible tells us, “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Everything?!? Seriously? Is that even possible?

Maybe the fact that complaining and arguing comes completely natural to us and not doing that would take an act of God is exactly the point.

In the verse before the verse about complaining, we read: “For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to His good purpose (Phil. 2:13).” God is transforming us into the image of Christ day by day. One of the evidences of this transformation is that we will be more focused on God’s work all around us than our own circumstances. When that happens, we will find that there is less to complain and argue about.

We are so glad to have you in Bible study with us! If you miss a devotion, you can find them archived at https://comethirstyministry.com/blog/

Reading Plan- Week Thirty-Six

Day One- Philippians 2
Day Two- Philippians 3
Day Three- Philippians 4
Day Four- Colossians 1
Day Five- Colossians 2