Reading Through The New Testament In 2016. Day 175. Philippians 2

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.” 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.

With the political climate today I feel like it’s really easy to complain a lot. With some of the atrocities, it almost feels like we should be vocally opposing them, and have some degree of distaste for the way the world operates. It’s a fallen place, and no one can argue that. Every day there’s new stories about some corrupt politician, terrorist attacks, social movements that oppose the gospel, and the list goes on and on. The first century Christians Paul was writing to had a lot more than us to complain about too; they were being persecuted for their faith, many were slaves, and a lot were exiled and cast out of their families for the sake of the gospel.

Through all this it’s easy to complain. Paul says complaining isn’t what we should do though. I think he’s telling the Philippians the same message he had for the Ephesians in chapter 5: that hope is better. Instead of being disgruntled at the way things are, we should be hopeful for the way they will be. Hope is better than disillusionment because it puts the power in God’s hands instead of our own understanding. Complaining says that things aren’t good enough, hope says that God will make them great. So instead of being disgruntled at the state of this world, lets look forward and place our hope in the promise of God for a better one.