Grumbling or Questioning

"Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 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 labor in vain." (Phil. 2:14-16)

There is so much in these verses, but for today, let me just linger on Phil.2:14--"Do ALL things without grumbling or questioning." Brother, I have a long way to go on that one. I'm betting that if I were some Greek scholar, I would be able to give the definition of "all" in the original Greek. And I'm also betting it would be... ALL. As in, don't grumble or question anything, nada, nothing, not even the weather. Not even when the star point guard for your beloved tar heels basketball team is injured and unable to play in the NCAA tournament. Not even when someone else eats the rest of the ice cream cake. Not even when life breaks your heart or changes your plans or steals your dreams. Not in the hardest, most challenging of sorrows nor in the smallest, most shallow of disappointments.

Don't we all default to grumbling? It's too warm or too cold. The music is too loud or too slow or too something or other. Our home is too old or our yard is too full of weeds or our car is too unreliable. Our weight is too heavy or our eyes are too weak. Or we grumble about our insufficiencies, our "not quite enough's"--not enough gratitude from our loved ones. Not enough time. Not enough money. Not enough sunshine. Not enough rain. Not enough time or energy or love.

Forgive us, sovereign Lord! All things, all circumstances--good, bad, challenging, exhilarating, exhausting, encouraging--all come from Your hand, filtered through Your mysterious but always ultimately good plans and ways, and prompted and permitted only through Your love. Calvary love. We simply cannot always understand. Why the death of a child? Why tragic accidents? Why handicaps--physical, mental, emotional? Why war and pain and famine and turmoil?

We will never know the why's this side of heaven.

But we know the Who... and that is enough.

I find the more I focus on the Who, by fixing my eyes upon the Savior, then the "why's" don't seem so important anymore. And I am able to praise the One who came and lived and bled and died and rose again and who lives that we might truly live. Live the abundant, joyful, non- grumbling life! When I'm grumbling and questioning, my focus is upon big me and my big circumstances. But when I refuse to grumble and instead choose gratitude, my focus is upon my big, huge sovereign God and His glorious grace. And the result is trusting joy and a life in which we "shine as lights in the world." (Phil.2:15) If you want to stand out, try choosing gratitude rather than grumbling; try trusting rather than questioning, and, believe me, in this jaded, dark world, your light will shine!

So today, tonight, tomorrow, even when things don't go according to our plan, might we choose thanking and trusting rather than grumbling and questioning. God's in complete control, but He's giving you the choice as to your response. "Do all things without grumbling or questioning." What are you excluding from "all things?!" He who has given all, forgiven all, and done all for us, deserves our "all." And to our Almighty, Sovereign God be ALL the glory.