WANT TO IMPACT THE LOST FOR CHRIST?

Did you know that a prerequisite to reflecting Christ and effectively sharing the word of God

Then stop complaining about life.

is to stop the griping? Consider:

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, (so) that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and

innocent… above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you appear as

lights in the world, holding fast the word of life… ” (Philippians 2:14-16)

The fact that the people around you fornicate, steal your money and ideas, ogle your wife, rip

off the company, smoke pot, and cheat on their income tax IS NOT UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR. That’s

how people in a DYSFUNCTIONAL SOCIETY live. The technical term used in the Bible

for such demeanor is sin.

Why then are we so surprised? And so angry? The “Rose Garden” ended the day the “First

Couple” chose to eat the wrong fruit. We need to settle the fact that tough times for

followers of Christ is now the norm — A training ground in preparing us for eternity:

“Through many tribulations we (believers) must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:21)

Israel failed in this regard. As they trekked across the desert from Egypt to the Promised

Land they bellyached about almost everything. Of them Paul writes:

“With most of them God was not well-pleased… for they… grumbled: ‘… Why have you (Moses)

brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this

miserable food.’” (I Corinthians 10:5, 10; Numbers 21:5)

Once we accept the reason as to why we are here, we may find it easier to respond to Paul’s

challenge in I Thessalonians 5:18:

“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will concerning you… ”

Hopefully, folks outside of Christ will notice when a thankful spirit prevails over an angry

attitude, thereby opening the door to minister the word of Christ to them.