Complaining and Arguing

What kind of friends are we to be considered if we are not known for our compassion and listening ear? What if instead we are known for our judgment?

Today, my mind is set on a verse. As I continue my journey of knowing Him and knowing more about me, I am more and more realizing my own faults. How often do I argue? How often does my arguing change anything? What kind of friend am I? Am I a friend who supports and encourages another? Or, am I known for my criticism?

Philippians 2:14-16 just so happens to be today's verse of the day for Bible Gateway. It is what I needed, when I needed it.

It says:

“Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you will be blameless and pure, children of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you, who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people you shine like lights in a dark world, and you offer them the teaching that gives life. So I can be proud of you when Christ comes again. You will show that my work was not wasted—that I ran in the race and won.” 

A few things about the passage stick out to me. First and foremost, do not argue or complain. Can I go a day without complaining? This verse has actually been on my mind for the last couple of days. I have been working on on one aspect: not complaining. On days when you feel lousy, it is actually really easy to just let the complaining nature come out. Today, it is speaking to me on a whole new volume: arguing.

We need to be diligently "working out our salvation"--continuing to move forward and live a blameless life. It is through our actions that we are showing our own hearts. Disputing with others are smaller, hindrances of love.. Some people waste their lives complaining. Many of us (me included) do it. It becomes a habit. I want to take that discontent inside of me, and turn it into being content in my own situations before it becomes something more than simple complaints. I cannot make the transform myself. I need God to continue working in me, as I overcome my past. He can transform my present moments of complaining and arguing into a thing of the past!

Complaining and arguing with others: Only they aren't always small hindrances of love. They sometimes have big consequences. In the New Testament, the religious group (Pharisees) were well known for their judgmental remarks. What about us, as followers of Christ? Are Christians known for their judgments, rather than their love? How are we perceived by non-Christians? How are we as individuals lives our lives? Are we known for listening and loving others? Or, are we known for our judgmental words? Are we known for our complaining and argumentative nature? For the non-believers and Christ-followers alike, how are we going to let the past affect the future? We may have been complaining and argumentative yesterday, but that does not have to be the case today..

The second thing that strikes me is the goal. Our goal as followers of Christ: to be blameless as Children of God. We live in a messed up world that can definitely affect what we say and do. This world is pretty good at teaching us to complain and argue, not that we need any help in that area. If you are anything like me, you can pretty much handle the "complain and argue" department all on your own. As children, we often imitate our parents in whatever they say or do. As children of God, we need to be the imitation of our great God. We are held to a higher standard. We, too, are judged and will be held accountable for what we say and do. We are children of the King! Think about that..

We need to show ourselves..as the light of the world: through our actions. We have His light glowing inside of us. Are we going to let our light shine? Or, are we going to be selfish and hide our light? We have the goal before us: To run this race and win. We need to be deliberate in what we say and do. Holding to the Truth unswervingly, and choosing to forsake all and follow Him. It does not matter what others say or do, we need to keep digging in His word and find out what it really means to be a follower of Christ. We all have sinned and fallen short of His glory! So often, we, as followers of Christ, we get it wrong. Complaining and arguing as our way of life is getting it wrong. It is sinful and proves how much more we need to be digging into His Word!

When Christ comes again, we will be caught following other "Christians"? Or, will we be caught following only Him? We will be held accountable for our actions. The question is what kind of witness will we have spent our lives being? Someone who is known for judgments, or someone known for showing Christ's love? Someone known for their silence to just sit with you, or someone known for their arguing?