Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard: Stop finding fault and shine

Wednesday 29 April 2020

Stop finding fault and shine

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, (15) 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."
Philippians 2:14-15 NKJV

We're called to shine in the darkness of this world. To light up the dark pathways that many people stumble upon. The thing is, we'll never shine this way if we can't accept new things or new ways. Let me explain:

We can be creatures of habit and find it difficult if anyone changes the norm - the things that we've always been used to. Change can be hard to handle, especially if it affects the way that we have always done things. We tend to become offended when someone comes along and does something alien to our way of doing something.

DL Moody says:

'Let's not fall into the trap of finding fault because things aren't done exactly like they've been done in the past, or like we think they ought to be done.'

I know of a pastor, who - when he was appointed as minister of a church with many years of church squabbles - the first Sunday that he preached, stood up and said, 'Right, I would like all of the elders and deacons to stand down as of this moment. I then intend to - ' He then went on with a list of all the changes he was going to implement. He ended this unusual speech with, 'Everyone who doesn't agree with these changes, would you please leave the church right now.' About 70% of the congregation left. To the remaining 30% he said, 'Right, we can now re-build our church.' And he did and it thrived from thereon.

Not everyone likes change but it is to our advantage at times. The problem is, if we begin complaining and finding fault in all that is beginning to happen - church or elsewhere - it becomes an uphill battle. From a Christian point of view if we act this way, instead of unbelievers seeing Jesus in us, they will see what they can see anywhere else in the world. Instead of being beacons of light in a dark world - a world that points to Jesus, we will show them that there is no difference in believers or unbelievers.
Now that's food for thought!

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard