Shine Without Complaining
Don’t let the title fool you. If you’ve read your Bible a lot, you’re probably thinking this is a lesson from Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. But this is different. Jesus talked about letting your light shine by doing good. In this episode, Paul shows us that we let our light shine by what we don’t do.
The book of Philippians is about how to face trials and tribulations. It is a book about how Christians should have optimism and joy in spite of these troubles. That optimism will show. Others will see it even when we’re not talking about it.
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- Scriptures: Philippians 2:14-17; Numbers 11
- “Peace and Contentment”
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Transcript
Kerry Duke: Hi, I’m Kerry Duke, host of My God and My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee Bible College, where we see the Bible as not just another book, but the Book. Join us in a study of the inspired Word to strengthen your faith and to share what you’ve learned with others.
Thomas Kincade was known as the painter of lights. I’m certainly no painter, but I think we can understand how he was able to make lights in his paintings so bright. He used a dark background and very bright colors. He was a master at contrasting darkness and light.
You see this image often in the Bible. When Jesus began his ministry in Capernaum, the Bible says, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned” (Matthew 4 verse 16). Darkness is a symbol of ignorance, fear and evil. Light is a symbol of love and hope. Jesus was a light in a dark world. He came to give hope and peace. John said He is “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1 verse 9). In John chapter 8, after He told the woman taken in adultery to go and sin no more, Jesus said, “ I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8 verse 12).
Is it any wonder why the Bible uses darkness as a symbol of evil? People do things at night they won’t do during the day. Paul said, “For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night” (First Thessalonians 5 verse 7). For thousands of years, the word darkness has been associated with wickedness.
People hide what they’re doing in the dark; at least, they try to hide what they’re doing from other people. But God knows. God sees. And people who live in the darkness of sin know what they’re doing. That’s why they shun the light of Christian people. Jesus said, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” People who live right are not afraid of the light. They’re not afraid of being around Christian people. They’re not afraid of other people knowing what they’re doing. They’re not afraid of sitting and listening to the Bible. But people who live in sin have everything to fear. They run from the light just like nocturnal animals turn and run when they see a bright light.
One thing about the dark that makes us feel helpless is that we can’t see where we’re going. That’s a scary feeling. You don’t know if you are about to step into a hole or run into a wall. The Bible says that’s what it’s like to be in spiritual darkness. John said, “But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (First John 2 verse 11). That’s just one more reason why the world needs Christian lights.
Jesus talked about Christians being light in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew chapter 5, verses 14 through 16, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” That’s probably the first verse we think of when we hear that Christians are to be the light of the world.
But there’s another passage that talks about this, and that brings us to our text for study today: Philippians chapter 2 verses 14 through 16. “Do all things without complaining and disputing, 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, 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.”
Paul said Christians live in a crooked and perverse generation. The word generation here is used in the general sense of a society or community of people. It doesn’t necessarily refer to the younger generation or the older generation or previous generations. And what Paul said about the world in the days of these Philippians is just as true about people today. He said they were crooked and perverse. If there’s one word people don’t want to be called, it’s “crooked.“ Nobody wants to be called a crook. Nobody respects a person who lies and cheats and steals. But times haven’t changed since Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian Christians. People were just as crooked then as they are today. The Gospel confronts that crookedness.
We need people who are straightforward and honest. People like John the Baptist. Jesus said that John the Baptist was a “burning and shining lamp” for a time (John 5 verse 35). When he preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins on the banks of the Jordan river, the Bible says he was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah, which said that “the crooked places shall be made straight” (Luke 3 verse 5). He wasn’t talking about crooked roads. The word crooked refers to things are out of line, morally speaking and spiritually speaking. He was talking about crooked people. John the Baptist came to, as we would say, straighten them out. The Jewish leaders were crooked and didn’t want him to straighten them out. So they rejected him. But there were others that came to hear him preach that humbled themselves. Some of the people asked him what they should do and John the Baptist told them in Luke chapter 3, verse 11 to share their food and clothing with other people. Then there were tax collectors who were notorious for overcharging people. Some of them were very crooked. When they asked John the Baptist what they were supposed to do when they were baptized, he told them not to collect any more from the people than they were appointed to collect in verse 13. Then there were soldiers that heard John preach. They asked John the same question: what shall we do? Notice what John told them. He said, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3 verse14). There were soldiers that were honest and some that were dishonest. Some of them took bribes. They took money to testify falsely against innocent people. Some of these law enforcement officials and military personnel in the first century used their authority to intimidate people into giving them money. As we would say today, they were shaking people down. When John told them not to intimidate anyone, he doesn’t simply mean not to scare them. He meant not to use the sword they were carrying as an excuse to extort money from people. So John in this chapter was definitely setting things straight.
That doesn’t mean John changed everybody. He couldn’t do that. Not even Jesus could change everybody. But even when people were against them, they stood out like lights in a dark world. Their boldness and courage made an impression on people. And that’s true today. It’s true that letting your light shine means to give to people who are in need. And it seems there are a lot of sermons on that today. But letting your light shine also means to stand against darkness. To stand against lying and cheating. To stand against taking drugs or getting drunk. To tell people it’s wrong to have sex outside of marriage. To stand against abortion, homosexuality, and transgenderism.
That brings us to another word Paul used. He said we need to shine as lights in a crooked and “perverse“ world. That word means to turn aside from the right way. It’s used an Acts chapter 13 verse 8 where the Bible says that Elymas the sorcerer tried to turn a Roman official away from the faith of the gospel. That’s the idea of the word perverse. It means to turn oneself or to turn someone else away from the right path. That can be done in a lot of ways. When a person believes a false teacher instead of believing the Bible, that’s perversion. When a preacher preaches something contrary to the Bible, he’s perverting the Word of God. When teenagers try to turn their friends against their parents, they’re perverting God‘s plan for the home because God’s will is that children obey their parents. When a male by birth says he wants to be a female, he’s perverting the natural order. When a girl or a woman says she wants to be a man, she is perverting the way God made us and the way God made her. Genesis chapter 1 verse 27 says that God made male and female in the beginning. God never changed his mind about that. Romans chapter 1 verse 27 says that men with men and women with women is against nature. And in that same chapter of Romans, Paul said that many of the Gentiles had exchanged the truth of God for a lie in Romans one verse 25. They did that by turning aside from the right way of honoring and worshiping God to the vain and foolish way of worshiping idols.
These are perversions in the world today just like they were 2000 years ago. These are the people that make the world a dark place. But the darker the world is, the brighter Christian light will shine. People will notice. They may respect you or they may hate you, but they can’t ignore you. The power of a good example is priceless. You won’t shine as brightly as Jesus did. But the more of Him you have in your heart and life, the more light you will have. You can’t see the stars during the day because of the brightness of the sun, but you can sure see them at night. That’s the idea of the word for lights in Philippians two verse 15. It was often used by Greeks to refer to stars.
Now look a little closer at Philippians chapter 2 verse 15 to see how we can shine brighter as Christians. It’s different from Matthew five verse 16. Jesus said to let your light shine by doing good works. But in Philippians two verse 15, Paul says to let your light shine by what you don’t do. He said to “do all things without complaining and disputing.“ That’s the New King James Version. The King James Version uses the word “murmuring.” If you want to make a good impression on people, don’t complain. Have you ever been in a restaurant and heard people at a table next to you complaining about every little thing? People may have to put up with a complainer, but they don’t respect him. People need to see strength and patience in us. They need to see maturity. They need to see that we’re thankful and content. They need to see that we have better things to talk about than griping about the things most people gripe about. Social media is full of complainers. Some people just look for something to complain about. They complain about their work. They complain about their marriage. They complain about the country. They complain about the church they attend. They complain about their doctor. They complain about their car, their finances, their relationships, their children, their parents, their neighbors, and their whole life. Some of these complainers do it to get attention. Some people do it because they’re acting like children. Some people gripe and complain so much they don’t even realize what they’re doing. It’s such a habit to them, they don’t even think about it. Sometimes people learn it from their parents. A daughter hears her mother complain all the time and thinks it’s normal. A son hears his father complain constantly and thinks that’s what he supposed to do. Paul says in Philippians two verse 15 that Christians need to shine like lights in a dark world. A lot of that starts in the home. Children see the dark world around them. They hear a lot of complaining. Mothers, watch what you say in front of the children. Fathers, be careful what you say in front of children. If you have the urge to complain, bite your tongue. Find something positive to talk about. Show gratitude and mention things you’re thankful for in front of these children. You’ll be a bright shining light in their eyes if you do.
There’s a time and a place for, as we would say, blowing off some steam. It’s okay to share your burdens with others. There’s nothing wrong with taking your worries and problems and frustrations to God. But complaining comes from a disgruntled heart. The Israelites, for instance, did a lot of grumbling in the desert. Listen to this story in Numbers chapter 11. “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched.” That’s Numbers 11 verses 1 and 2. Was it a serious thing when they complained? It sure was. And what you need to remember is that this was not a one-time thing. These people had a habit—a bad habit—of griping.
What possible reason did they have to complain? They had every reason to be thankful. These people as a nation had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. The Egyptians beat them and made their lives bitter. They prayed to God night after night for years, pleading with God to take away their suffering. The Bible says in Exodus 2 verses 23 through 25: “Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.”
God heard their prayer and sent Moses to deliver them from their anguish and torment. God sent 10 plagues upon the Egyptians. The Hebrew slaves saw all of that. God protected them while he punished the Egyptians. How could God have shown his love for them any more than that? What more could He have done to help them trust Him? If any people ought to have been humble and thankful, it should have been these Hebrew slaves.
And yet, what did they do after Pharaoh finally let them go free? Exodus chapter 13 tells us about Pharaoh letting them go. But then in the next chapter, Exodus 14, he changed his mind again and chased after them. When he caught up with them, his army had them cornered at the Red Sea. So here are these Hebrews, who have seen the hand of God defeat the Egyptians ten times. How did they react? They jumped onto Moses and criticized him. They said, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?” (Exodus 14 verse 11). Then they said in verse 12, “Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians then that we should die in the wilderness.” They forgot everything they had seen. They didn’t learn a thing about trusting in God. When they saw the first sign of danger, they feared the worst would happen to them. And who took the brunt of their complaining? Who did they blame? Moses. It’s a shame that we do the same thing today. We go through hard times and God spares us. Then when the next trouble hits, we show fear instead of faith. We imagine the worst is going to happen. And then we blame somebody for telling us to trust God. We may even blame ourselves. It’s easy to look back at these Hebrews and think about how foolish they were, but would you and I have done any different than they did?
But the Lord was patient with these Hebrews—far more patient than you or I would have been. God did something they never imagined. They saw no way out if this predicament. The sea was in front of them, and they had no boats to crossover. The Egyptian army was behind them and they had no weapons to fight. But that was no problem to God. He parted the Red Sea and let the Hebrews pass through while he held the Egyptian army back with a pillar of fire. Once all the Hebrews were safe on the other side, he removed the pillar of fire and Egyptians chased after them. But then God caused the sea to collapse on this army, killing all of them. God showed his power once more and gave them one more reason to trust Him.
But we only read two chapters ahead until we see the Hebrews back at it again. in exodus chapter 16 verses two and three, the Bible says, “Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Moses told them, “Your complaints are not against us, but against the Lord (Exodus 16:8). But once again, God had mercy on them. This is the chapter where he begins to give them Manna from heaven to eat. But that great sign didn’t last long in their minds either. in Exodus chapter 17 the people were thirsty and complained again. Verse 3 says, “And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said,’Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?“ And, once more, God was gracious. He caused water to come out of a rock for them to drink.
Let’s go back to Numbers chapter 11. The people complained and God sent fire that consumed some of the people. But before you know it, they’re complaining again. “Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ‘Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!’” Before they said they were starving and God fed them. Now they have plenty to eat, but they want something different. They’re tired of eating the same thing all the time. The manna God gave them was a special food. The Bible actually calls it “angel’s food” in Psalm 78. We’ve never seen it, much less tasted it. But these Israelites said they wanted what they used to eat in Egypt. And when God gave them quail to eat by a great miracle, they were so greedy about it that God punished many of them and they died.
We read stories like this and shake our heads. What was wrong with these people? And the answer is: the same thing that’s wrong with people today. They are going to complain about something no matter what. Paul said if you want to shine like a light in a dark world, don’t complain. You’ll make a deep impression on people if you do what Paul said. it’s refreshing to see people who take the disappointments and hardships of life in stride. These people are rare. You may be thinking of someone like that right now. We’ve all seen people we admire for keeping their chin up. For instance, people with health problems take it differently. Some make a big deal out of a little health problem. They complain about the least little ache and pain. And then there are other people you know are hurting really badly, but they don’t talk about it. They just take it on the chin. It’s not that they’re living in denial. It’s that they shouldering their own load.
I remember going to the funeral of a gospel preacher. They served a meal at the church before the funeral. His wife was now a widow after being married for almost 60 years. She was not in the best of health. She had had multiple car accidents and was walking with a cane. And yet she was walking from table to table greeting everyone who was there and thanking them for coming. She was not one to complain. And she influenced a lot of people by her example.
One of the interesting things about being a light in a world of darkness is that you don’t have to say something every time to be a good example. Just be the kind of person God said to be. Do the things God said to do. Have faith and love in your heart and people will see it. Watch your words and catch that complaint before it comes out of your mouth. Silence can be a powerful thing. For instance, the Bible says that a Christian wife who has a non-Christian husband may be able to win him over by her example rather than her words. Here’s what it says in First Peter chapter 3 verses 1 and 2: “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.” Sometimes just being who you’re supposed to be has more influence than talking.
One of the best known stars is the North Star. Most of us hear about it before we look up into the sky and find it. Travelers have used it for thousands of years because it’s always perfectly due north. Other stars appear to change, but not the North Star. Those other stars get our attention because they are brighter—some of them much brighter. When you find the North Star, you’re not all that impressed. It’s not as spectacular as other lights in the sky. But it’s always there when you need it. It’s the quiet star that gives you direction. That’s the kind of light Christians need to give to those around them.
Paul mentioned something else that we’re not to do if we want to be lights in the world. He said to stay away from disputing. Don’t misunderstand this word. There are good disputes and bad disputes. Jesus and the apostles disputed with false teachers and wicked people. That’s not only a good thing, it’s our duty. But the kind of disputing Paul said not to do is fussing and quarreling. Arguing over little things. Arguing over nothing. Arguing just to be arguing. Starting an argument just to get back at somebody. You can’t be a light in the world if you do that.
So choose your battles when it comes to disputes. Make sure it’s something that matters – for eternity. And these two things go together as a pair. One feeds the other. I’m talking about complaining and quarreling. You’ve got bigger and better things to do as a Christian. Don’t let people lure you into the wrong kind of arguments. Stay out of personality conflicts. Don argue about religious questions the Bible doesn’t even address. Sometimes people get into heated arguments about things the Bible doesn’t even talk about. People argue about sports, about business, about politics and all kinds of things. Some of it may be with a good spirit, but sometimes it gets ugly. There’s an old saying among parents: you have to choose your battles. And, actually, God does the choosing for you in the Bible if you just listen.
Not even Jesus try to settle every dispute. When the man came to him in Luke chapter 12 verse 13 and wanted Jesus to talk to his brother about dividing the inheritance with him, Jesus refused to get involved. He said they were people that were appointed to settle those kinds of disputes. If you have children, you’ve told them that there are some things they shouldn’t be arguing about. It doesn’t matter one way or the other. When they’re little, they can’t see the difference between a big thing and a little thing, something important and something inconsequential. We need to remember that in our adult life. We need to remember that in the church. The congregation at Corinth was torn apart by bickering and fussing. Paul said it was a shame that They were arguing and even suing each other over the smallest things in First Corinthians chapter 6 verse two, and yet they close their eyes to a huge problem in the church, and that was a man living in fornication with his stepmother. No wonder Paul said that these people were babes in Christ. They were acting like children. We have to be bigger than that if we want our light to shine. Learn to hold your temper and your tongue. Think and pray especially before you get into a dispute. Make sure it’s a big thing according to God, not according to how you feel about it.
Look at these words again: “Do all things without complaining and disputing.” Is that what you and I do? Do we do our duty for God without complaining and arguing? Then he says to do this so that “you may be blameless and harmless, children of God without fault.” I know what happens when you read these words. You look at the word blameless and think it means sinless. It does not. It cannot mean that. The Bible says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (First John 1 verse 8). Solomon wrote, “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin” (Ecclesiastes 7 verse 21). So don’t think you have to be perfect in order to be a shining light in the world. Don’t think if you ever commit a sin as a Christian, and people know about it, that you can never be a good example to others. Actually, you can be a good example to people who know about it when you repent and confess that sin. They’ll appreciate and respect you if they’re honest.
Paul is talking about your Christian life as a whole. Overall, a Christian is to live in a way that people can’t look at him and say he’s a hypocrite. Sin in his life is the exception and not the rule. He doesn’t deliberately and continuously sin against God. That’s what Paul means by being “blameless” and “without fault” or “without rebuke.”
Paul loved these people. They were his “joy and crown” (Philippians 4 verse 1). He wanted them to be the best Christians they could be. It would have been a heavy burden for him to bear if they had gone astray. He said in verses 16 and 17 that they should be “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. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.”
Paul wanted these people to be saved. He wanted them to continue in the faith. He did not believe in once saved always saved. That’s why he said I want you to hold fast the word of life so that I can rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Why would he talk about laboring in vain? He didn’t say that he did labor in vain. He’s telling them to hold onto the faith so that he doesn’t labor in vain, so that his work will not be in vain, when the Lord comes again.
Now this shows that it was up to them to continue in the faith. That’s why he wrote this book. That’s why he wrote all these epistles. That’s why all the epistles of the New Testament are in the Bible: to encourage and exhort these Christians to remain faithful to God. And Paul said that is the ground of my joy. That is the reason why I can rejoice. And he said it doesn’t make any difference if (he says in verse 17) if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith. Now that evidently goes back to what he talk about in chapter 1 when he says when he says whether he lives or dies, Christ is going to be magnified in his body. He had confidence that he was going to be released, but he said it doesn’t make any difference whether the Roman government releases me or whether they execute me, I’m going to live for God. And so in chapter 2 verse 17 he says if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. To be “poured out” evidently refers to the same idea that you find in Second Timothy Chapter 4 verse six. That’s where Paul said, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” He knew he was going to die in the book of Second Timothy, but he doesn’t know that as he writes to these Philippians. That’s in the book of Philippians. He’s already said several times that he expected to be released.
So think about it. He already said several times that he expected to be released. So think about everything Paul has said to these Christians and remember how much they loved him and how much they depended on the apostle Paul. Paul said whether I am there with you or whether I am absent and away from you, you need to obey God. Whether I stay in prison or whether they release me, you need to be faithful to the Lord. And whether I live or die, you need to rejoice in the Lord always.
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