“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the world of life…” Philippians 2:14-16, NIV
Have you ever had the opportunity to stand on the shore of a vast body of water on a clear night and look up into the heavens? WOW! Every place you look sparkles. If you take the time to explore, you will see the Milky Way and the constellations. When I experience this amazing opportunity, I feel so small.
In the scripture verse from Philippians, Christians are instructed on how we should act in “everything” we do. We are told not to complain or argue. I don’t know about you, but some days this is a tall order. In our current culture, arguing and complaining seems to be rampant everywhere you look. Whether on the internet through social media or in a restaurant or traffic, ugly words and attitudes are commonplace which makes the task of wanting to be “blameless and pure, children of God without fault” a big challenge. Well, I have some good news/bad news. Without Jesus, we can’t live up to the task, but with him, anything is possible.
Like the bright stars at night, Christians “shine” in the “darkness” of our world on the sunniest day at high noon. Just like the stars in the heavens at night are visible because of the surrounding darkness, when you and I act contrary, or contrastingly to those around us, we will be noticeable. If we show simple patience and kindness, whether deserved or undeserved, (especially if undeserved!) like the stars, we will shine, and more importantly, Christ will shine. You and I generate no “light” of our own; we only reflect the light of the Son!