The Plumbline

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... (Philippians 2:14-16) Oh boy, I am gonna meddle this morning! How many times do you find it hard not to complain about something that is happening around you? You and I both have issues that arise, causing us to want to little more than complain about them. The stock falls, the interest rate rises, the grocery bill is higher each time we go, the shelves don't contain the can of soup we wanted, and the list goes on. It is indeed a difficult thing to face 'issues' without some form of complaint (even the silent ones we don't utter), isn't it? Living our lives without complaint or argument is difficult, but is it possible? God wouldn't tell us to live that way if it were not possible. We have often explored the importance of having...

I n everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of people who are crooked and stubborn. Shine out among them like beacon lights, holding out to them the Word of Life.  ( Philippians 2:14-1 5  TLB ) True confessions here...sometimes my "beacon" gets a little fogged over by my complaints and verbal agonizing over things not going my way, or that I just simply don't like. It is easy to slip into the complaint-mode, even kind of "second-nature" to some of us. Complaint takes on the issue as something we will "lament" or "object to". It is a subtle form of criticism that sometimes carries with it the idea we have been "wronged" or "put upon" as a result of someone else's actions. To be truthful with you, most of the complaining we do really doesn't accomplish a doggone thi...

Have you ever written a letter of complaint?  We received less than stellar service, or the product we received just did not live up to our expectations - so we resorted to the "complaint" process.  David began this psalm as a letter of complaint - almost as a letter to a complaint department of some big business.  His observation:  Things just weren't working out as well as he'd hoped - either for himself or the evil people around him.   Whom have I in heaven but you?     I desire you more than anything on earth. 26  My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,  but God remains the strength of my heart;  he is mine forever.  (Psalm 73:25-26 NLT) His complaints were many - kind of like ours at times.... - The proud prospered despite their wickedness.  They actually were doing well when David suspected they did not deserve to be.  It certainly gets our goat, doesn't it, when the wicked seem to avoid the consequenc...

'Come near to  God . He's heard your complaints.' (Exodus 16:9 The Message) Yesterday, we began to look at the fact that we can turn our complaints from a negative thing into a positive thing - simply by choosing how we choose to use the opportunity of complaining to examine our motivation.  Today, I'd like us to continue in that thought and expand upon it a little.  The people of Israel have been complaining because they are just about out of food - they are hungry!  Truth be told, I complain a little more when I am hungry, too!  There are two lessons I'd like us to see today from this passage.  First, WHO we take our complaints to really does matter.  Second, hunger is a strong motivator. Moses is faithful to take the concerns of the people to God.  He makes a beeline to the one and only one that he knows will be able to handle the complaint of the people.  Israel has just began to experience the tremendous power of their God (having seen...

14  Do everything without complaining and arguing,  15  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.  16  Hold firmly to the word of life... (Philippians 2:14-16) Nothing delights God more than to look at his children and see purity of heart, purity in our actions, and purity in our words.  Some might think of this as being "blameless".  A true servant will never hesitate to put his heart into his service.  No child of God should think that this walk we call Christianity will require anything less. Paul's emphasis on being "one in spirit" is foundational to impacting the world with our testimony.  Unity - being able to love one another - not for what the other can do for you, but because there is a heart determined to live in love with the other, is not the easiest challenge.  When we finally understand the purpose God has for...