Philippians 2:14
“Do everything without grumbling and arguing.”

Despite our circumstances, we are called to do everything without grumbling or arguing. This is a comprehensive command. God doesn’t say, “Do most things without complaining,” or, “When you do easy things, don’t grumble,” but everything. All that we do and all that we go through, we are to count it all as joy.

There are two major reasons why Christ commands us to stop our grumbling.

1) It accurately reflects who we belong to.

We are to be blameless and pure in a crooked and perverted generation. We should stand out from our peers. We should act and sound different. We were made to shine like stars in the world. There should be no doubt that we reflect the Kingdom of Light.

We cannot escape the link between our attitude and our associations. For example, when I worked for Chick-fil-A in high school, part of my training was to say, “My pleasure” whenever a customer said, “Thank you.” This extra-mile courtesy is something Chick-fil-A is known for—customer service is synonymous with the restaurant. So important was this standard that if we did not quickly learn to say “My pleasure” instead of “You’re welcome,” we could be fired. It may sound harsh, but Chick-fil-A would not compromise its standard of service because one employee refused to exhibit the proper attitude.

In the same way, we are to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel. That means we are to act as Jesus does. We are to show people what being a Christian practically looks like. If we grumble and complain, we show the world that Christians complain—and worse, because we are associated with Christ, we suggest that He does too. It may sound harsh, but if you are a Christian, you represent your King. You are an ambassador of heaven, and your actions are no longer just about you. This is why Paul says to stop grumbling: because you are misrepresenting Jesus.

2) The truth about grumbling is that you are ultimately grumbling against God.

Because God is sovereign over every detail of the world—from the life cycle of the stars to the rolling of dice (Proverbs 16:33)—any complaint against our circumstances is really a complaint against what He has allowed to come to pass. There is not one thing that has ever happened, or will happen to you, that has not already passed through His hands. Evil does not come from Him, but every evil that befalls us is still within His sovereignty. As Joseph said, “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.” (Genesis 50:20) God used the wickedness of Joseph’s brothers to bring him to Egypt, raise him up, and ultimately save many lives so the world would see the power of the living God.

This means that grumbling about the circumstances God has allowed:

• Is really us questioning His perfect wisdom.
• Is really us doubting His infinite love for us.
• Is really us not trusting His character.
• Is really us forgetting all His goodness toward us.
• Is really us believing that we know better than Him.

All of this reveals that the root of grumbling is idolatry. We believe we know best, so we complain against His plan in favor of the one in our mind. The solution is to obey God and stop grumbling. We must cultivate more faith and fewer complaints.

Attitude matters.

How we act in response to our circumstances and the people around us offers a window into our heart. That window will either properly reflect Christ to the world or give them a false image of His character and attributes. Our attitudes are also a way we worship God. They are a way to show Him that we trust, love, and obey Him—no matter what happens around us.