“Do everything without complaining and arguing, 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.”
Verse 14 may be the Bible verse I quote the most when talking to my children. It flows right off the tongue… “Do everything without complaining or arguing!” Isn’t it convenient how we often use the Bible as a defense mechanism designed to make others suit our own purposes? The Bible is great for correction, but maybe there should be a rule that you can only quote verses to others that you have fully mastered yourself. But I digress…
Turning the mirror back on myself, I want to soak in all the wisdom these verses have to offer me. At our church, we often say, “Everything means everything…” so in these verses I can’t turn the “everything” into “some things.” Do everything without complaining or arguing. Why? So that no one can criticize you. Wow. Imagine living a life in which no one can think of anything bad to say. That is the Spirit-led life.
Notice the contrast described in verse 15: innocent, bright-shining examples versus crooked and perverse people. My heart breaks that this is so far from the current state of the American church. Christians, instead of being known as examples of excellence and love, are often known for forcing their morals down other people’s throats. Is that really how we want to play this? Using the Bible and Jesus like I started off this post, bashing other people for stuff we aren’t so great at?
To humbly accept the path laid out for us and in doing so shining a light so bright the world notices. As a body. Not just me, all by myself, but all of us together. Sit with him today and let him remove the chains that trap you in complaints, arguing and pushing others to do things you yourself still fail at. Perhaps it is in that place that we can begin to understand freedom and become bringers of peace.