What's All the Complaining About?

Verse of the day: Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Today, I may have to step on some toes. The issue of complaining, and murmuring. This is an issue I find, among God's people, as common, and frequent, as gossip, and overlooked just as often. However, it is the one sin that does great damage to our testimony in a world where we are supposed to shine the light of Jesus. Now don't get me wrong, I am willing to bet that we are ALL guilty of this; especially at work, and often when gathering as a church. We accept, and are hired to do a job, knowing the job description, and what our responsibilities will be, but then we complain, and murmur, when asked to carry out those duties. Yet, it is typically the unsaved among us that show us up by doing the job without complaining, and even going the extra mile. Gathering as a church we some times complain because we are asked to minister in an area that is beneath us (in our own minds). Yet, Jesus, who is God, humbled Himself, under the authority of God, and man, even unto death. We must be careful to always be diligent in whatever we are called to do, whether at work, play, or gathered as a body of believers. We must be willing to clean a toilet with as much joy, and enthusiasm, as being asked to teach a class. We must do our best to get to work on time, and not complain about the hours we work. We must carry out our duties, and responsibilities without murmuring or disputing. Why? Because the unsaved are watching, and we are in danger of wrecking our testimony, and bringing shame to the Name above all names; the Name of Jesus. When others look upon us, they should see someone, not who is perfect, but someone who always puts their best effort forward into whatever they do or are asked to do. The bottom line is that if we are not careful, we will look like hypocrites when we try to share Jesus with others, after we have just wasted fifteen minutes voicing our misery for being asked to do what we were supposed to do any way. Remember, regardless of who we do it for, ultimately, we do it for the One who did not complain when He went to the Cross for us; but instead counted it all joy.