Friday, December 11, 2009

Phi 2:14-16

Do all things without complaining or disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without a fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Many of us have always said that we want to be the salt and light in this generation. What is the key? “do all things without complaining or disputing…” What does it actually mean to be complaining and disputing? Does this mean that we bottle up our emotions, suck our thumbs and go and do it? Let’s break things down.

What is the true essence of complaining?

Complaining is an attitude that one has when trapped in a situation. There are the complainers of Israel, because of their complaints; a whole generation was denied the Promised Land. Hear the disciples complain to Jesus, “Jesus, look, the storms are here and you are still sleeping!” or “We’re too tired, can’t pray with you for an hour…”

Complaining is having a passive attitude of defeat, of a battle being lost even before it has been fought. It is a cry of helplessness, and the only way of expressing it out is through complaints. It is a non-participating stand, whereby the circumstances has control and the complainer does not have control over their circumstances, thus allowing their circumstances to defeat them.

We are born to be more than conquerors. We are in a new generation whereby old things have past, and all things are made new. If God is with us, who can be against us? We are meant to rule and reign with Christ in the new Age. There is nothing, there is no one that can/would bring us down. You are a ruler over your circumstances, not your circumstances ruling over you. Your response reflects on your attitude. Know this, that God will never put you through something that He knows will break you, that He knows you cannot take.

So, instead of saying, “why is my leader like that?”, say “what can I do to work together with my leader for the ultimate good of the cell group?”. Instead of saying, “I can’t help it. I was born with this condition. I am still trying to overcome this area. I can’t help feeling like this. I have a tendency to do this kind of thing”, rather say “what can I do to further overcome these areas. What can I do to breakthrough. What can I do to bring growth?” In essence, the opposite of complaining is involvement. Get involved with the things around you, get engaged. Engage your circumstances and have a conquerors mindset, that nothing is going to bring me down, because I have got God on my side. Never become a complainer. Become a victor of your circumstances. Don’t be a passive complainer, be an active player, an agent of change in your environment.

Coming to the next point, what is disputing?

Is disputing disagreement? Is disagreements and differing opinions wrong? As a matter of fact, I learnt a lot from disagreements. Because each and everyone has their own differing opinions, they bring a new perspectives to things, thus giving me a wider perspective on certain issues.

However disputes are more than just disagreements or having differing opinions. Disputes are disagreements taken to a higher level. It is when these disagreements replaces the priority of relationships. Definitely in relationships there will be disagreements and different opinions, but it is when you decide to put aside these differences, to come to a common understanding that, though we have differing opinions, we can still be friends. That is why it is ok to have non-Christian friends, or even friends from another religion.

But when people put their differences, or what they see wrong in another person, above forming a relationship with them, it is when disputes happen. Disagreements does not tear any group apart. Disagreement does not break up relationships. Disputes does. When people cannot tolerate each other’s differences, there is dispute.

People need to know that though there may be disagreements, attitudes, values or beliefs that they may not approve, they can still be friends; it is a relationship can happen. And it is only through relationship that a change can take place. God is not against disagreements or challenging opinions, no. What He’s against is people putting these differences, putting these issues above building a relationship, thus hindering the unity of the group/friendship.

Attitudes have to change. Bad habits have to go. New habits have got to replace them. It is a simple lesson, yet it takes much effort to break out of the old habits/mindsets/thinking and to embrace God’s way of living. In all we do, we must not be complainers (having a passive, negative attitude of the situation around) but doers (active players in making the most out of every situation and emerging victorious from it). We must not have disputes (placing disagreements or differing beliefs/opinions above relationships) but it is ok to have disagreements. In this we will become blameless, harmless children of God, without a fault, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, shining as lights in the world. Amen.