By Dena King

The Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 2:14–16 paint a beautiful picture of what we, as God’s people, are called to be. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud I did not run in vain or labor in vain” (ESV).

I especially love the wording, “in a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Never is this more important than now, in our current culture. Recent events remind us that we are indeed living in a crooked and twisted generation. And in the midst of this mess of a world, we are called to be shining lights, without grumbling or disputing.

I think as Christians we would all agree that this is what we want to be, but many of us are going about it in the wrong ways. My church friends and those who profess to be Christians are spending their days complaining and ranting, critical of the world around them, throwing verbal daggers at the other side of the aisle. This is not what we are called to be!

When we read about the children of Israel and their exile from Egypt, we see that God was calling them out and asking them to set the example as His chosen people. But instead of reading a story about shining lights in the middle of a crooked and twisted generation, we read a story of a group of people who are constantly whining and complaining. There are fourteen documented instances of their complaining. They take issue with everything from Moses’ leadership to the menu.

For the children of Israel, their grumbling and complaining had very real consequences. Three thousand people were killed when they became impatient with Moses and worshipped the golden calf, Miriam was struck with leprosy, they were struck with pestilence, and once the ground even opened up and swallowed the offenders! God does not take complaining lightly.

So, how do we shine as lights when everyone around us is complaining? And how do we do this without being “that annoying friend” who just seems to make things worse by calling everyone to simply “look on the bright side?”

When I was just nine or ten, my family attended church in Columbia, Missouri. Our pastor at the time was a competitive guy who loved sports. As a sort of community-building exercise, he organized a church volleyball league that played every Saturday night. I remember the church gym being packed on Saturday nights with our most competitive members decked out in their sports goggles and knee pads sweating it out on the court while my Pathfinder friends and I sold pizza from the gym kitchen.

One Sabbath morning, our pastor made an announcement that it was again time to sign up for a team and he passed a clipboard around the congregation. I remember my mother taking the clipboard and I was shocked to see her begin writing (we have never been a sports-playing family) and then I was even more shocked to see that she was actually scratching out something someone else had written. I was sure this was breaking some sort of rule!

When we got outside that day I tattled to my siblings, “You’ll never believe what Mom did!” And then our mother explained what she had changed. Someone had written, anonymously of course, “What does volleyball have to do with our salvation? Answer me that, pastor!” And then my mother said, “He didn’t need to see that.”

An important lesson has stuck with me since that day and that is this: There is a lot of criticism that is completely unnecessary. And it can end with us. We don’t have to tell our friend the ugly thing someone else said about them, or vent our own frustrations, or share that rumor.

And I have to wonder if this is the way we, as Christians, are called to be a peculiar people. Perhaps we are not called to be peculiar in the way we dress or eat, but perhaps we are called to be peculiar in this really wonderful way in which we don’t do what is normal. Where it is normal for people to share everything that offends them on Facebook, we share the things for which we are grateful. Where it is normal to tear others down when they feel they are justified in doing so, we are lifting others up and extolling their good works. Where it is normal for people to talk about how rough their life is, we are quietly living lives of contentment.

Before our first child was born, my husband and I were given a children’s book titled Life is Good at Grandma’s. It is all about how Grandma loves you and thinks you’re the greatest. Your crayon drawings aren’t perfect, but Grandma puts them on her refrigerator. You break Grandma’s favorite teapot and all she says is, “That’s okay.” Basically, Grandma loves you and thinks you are special no matter what.

Our kids are incredibly fortunate to have two wonderful grandmas—Nonni and Grammy. They know that when they are with one of these ladies, they can ask for anything–treats, cartoons, books, toys, you name it. They are all theirs. I can see, in our daughter especially, that she feels special when she is in the presence of one of her grandmas. She struts around as though she owns the place. And this doesn’t happen by accident. The grandmas create this incredible, special environment because they love their grandkids and want to see them happy.

I believe if God had written a children’s book for us, it would be called Life is Good at God’s House. Our creations and works of art are weak, at best, but He cherishes them. We make a mess and break things beyond repair and He sweeps up our messes and says, “You’ll be okay.” Similar to Grandma, He does this not because we have done anything to deserve it, but because He loves us. If an all-powerful God who is perfect can look at us and not be critical, how much more should we look at the world around us with loving eyes!

God does not want us critiquing the world and com- plaining. He wants us to live content, happy, fulfilled lives in Him. So that we, like Paul, may say, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11–13, ESV).

–Dena King is a member of the Boulder Adventist Church and co-owner of The Grey House in Estes Park, Colorado. Email her at: [email protected]