“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. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.”
Philippians 2:14-16 NLT
Of all the sets of verses in the scripture that admonish us toward righteous living, these are perhaps the hardest to follow. In Christ, it is never just about “doing the right thing.” It is also about “being the right way.” In this case we are not to grumble. Conversely, we are to be constantly giving thanks. This simple behavior modification will alter your life for the better but it will also serve to set you apart and create a stark difference in the way people perceive you and others. This coupled with righteous living and a push for peace will bring people to God. It won’t simply show the way, as a street sign on a dark road, it will light the way so that they may easily find God. This type of behavior, attitude and actions are to always be coupled with the gospel message. If we don’t have the right equilibrium between these four things, we seriously inhibit the effectiveness of our witness. If we ever wonder why we are not effective in sharing the word of God, it would be prudent for us to examine one of these four aspects of our lives and determine if we are out of balance in their application. For many, this is going to begin by learning how to be thankful to God in all things and remove the worldly attitude of grumbling.
JOSH McGARY. COM 