“Do everything without grumbling or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” (Phil. 2:14-15)
Everything means exactly what it says!
The passage above starts off with a command to “Do everything without grumbling or arguing”. That’s a tall order, actually, because “everything” means, well, it means everything! And, that includes a lot of possibilities!
Small and large things!
Everything includes little things like traffic annoyances, or someone being a little rude to you on the phone. And it includes big things like major automotive repairs, dealing with difficult family members, being pulled over for a traffic violation, or even having to work for a difficult boss.
Blameless and pure without fault!
But this command comes with a wonderful payoff promise: “so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.'”
It makes you stand out and shine!
When you live a self-controlled life, and you resist the temptation to react negatively to life’s difficult and challenging situations, you stand out from the crowd, many of which are part of “a warped and crooked generation”. “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”
That makes it all worth it! And, that’s a great promise to aspire to!
Therefore…
“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” (Eph. 5:8 ESV)
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6 ESV)
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14-16 ESV)