TUESDAY July 9th
Philippians 2:14-17
‘Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labour in vain.
There are certain things that I can say that I don’t like doing, now, I am a practical person and will turn my hand to do anything, but I really do not like papering and painting, whether gloss or emulsion, using a roller or a brush. I just don’t like doing it, so if anything is going to make me grumble or dispute it would be that—but it doesn’t mean I won’t do it!
When it comes to living out our Christianity, Paul says ‘Do all things without grumbling or disputing’. We cannot pick and choose the bits of Christianity that we enjoy and put aside the bits we prefer not to take on board. For example we can say ‘I am glad I am saved’ and speak about the blessings and benefits of salvation, yet at the same time we may grumble about the bits that challenge us maybe toward full surrender, commitment or holiness, and we may not openly grumble or dispute, but by living in ways that deny the outworking of the gospel in our lives, we are disputing against the Spirit of God and the word of God.
See, being a homeowner means that even though there are jobs that need doing which I don’t like doing, to really care for the home, I must put the grumbling and disputing to one side and do it. (Even if I may take a long time to do it—ask Elaine! No, please don’t!) We are the temples of the living God, and we need to do what is required for our lives to be fit for purpose, without grumbling and disputing, so that he would be pleased to make his home with us. I need to surrender because that is the cost for following Jesus, I need to be committed for he has given everything for me, I need to be holy because he is holy, and he requires me to live in holiness as well. I need to apply the whole of scripture to my life without grumbling and disputing, we all need to, and by refusing to we are in rebellion toward the demands of a holy God who has saved us and redeemed us at such an immense cost, the precious blood of Jesus.
Think about the aspects of following Jesus that you find challenging and ask today that the Spirit of God will give you a spirit of willingness to be what he needs you to be and to do all he requires of you. The following verses came to me as I was preparing this devotion so I will add them here, I would sum up that they portray the need for obedience, what God says, what God requires, we must do without grumbling and disputing.
‘“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’ Micah 6:6–8.