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Do All Things without

complaining

​Part one

Do all things without complaining or arguments… (Phil. 2:14 NASB2020).”
Wherever a born-again believer is in life, experiencing either prosperity or adversity on any given day, he is where he needs to be in order to fulfill the individual plan that he, as an advancing disciple, committed himself to on the day he chose to pick up the cross and follow Him.

Most days bring us a mixed bag of both blessings and problems. But there are some days that blessings or adversity can reach extreme measures. We never complain about the extreme blessings, but are quick to moan about the extreme adversities.

I take issue with those who tell people that by establishing a relationship with God, one’s earthly life will be a trouble-free, blessed walk in the park. While there is a form of peace, assurance, and confidence that comes with knowing where one will be spending all of eternity, the daily life of an advancing disciple here on Earth will be anything but free of adversity.

To the extent that a born-again believer advances in the life of discipleship, he or she will experience more intense and frequent satanic attacks.

The devil is not always the cause of the adversity we face, but he and or his Eph. 6:12 forces of evil will not miss any opportunity to use any form of adversity to drive a wedge between a born-again believer and his or her intimate walk with the Lord.

Life here in the devil’s world can be hard. For a Christian, it will be even harder. For an advancing disciple, it will be the hardest.

Nothing good or bad happens anywhere or at any time without either being the direct (what He sends) or permissive (what He allows) will of God that is in view.

Without a doubt, accepting a lot of what His permissive will allows to take place is one of the highest hurdles to overcome along the road to spiritual maturity.

Praising God, and speaking well of the things of God, is easy when things are going our way. Doing the same whole-heartedly in times of illness, pain, tragedy, loss, and undeserved suffering is another matter altogether.

Being under the pressure of adversity presents the advancing disciple with the opportunity to bring the most glory to God. Nothing frustrates the devil or glorifies God more, than for the devil to have thrown his best punch, only to see us get back up, and move forward in the plan of God.

As long as things are going our way there is no reason to complain or to argue. It’s when things are not going our way that we are confronted with the challenge of the Phil. 2:14 exhortation.

Skeptics would correctly point out that under some circumstances, such compliance is humanly unreasonable, and even impossible.

But God never intended for our post salvation spiritual life of discipleship to be carried out through our human strength or abilities.

Finding oneself in situations requiring more than what our human resources can handle is what (should) motivate us to seek out and experience a power greater than our own. This is one of the reasons that God places us in, or allows such situations, to take place.

The adversity we face may be for discipline. It may be for training. But whatever the divine reason may be, it is in the best interest (1) in the spiritual development of the individual, and therefore a part of the plan that God has in mind that brings glory to Himself.

Many will ask where God was when some great adversity had taken place in the life or the loss of a loved one. The answer is that He was in the same place He was when His only begotten Son was falsely convicted, tortured, and crucified in order to accomplish the individual plan that God had in mind for Him.

We can choose to live a self-centered life, pursuing the things that pleases ourselves, or we can choose to live a life that is Christ-centered, glorifying God.

The more we favor one, the more we will forsake the other.

It is when we can see that both earthly blessings and adversity comes from what GOD sends or allows, that we will have nothing to complain about, equally praising (2) and bringing great glory to God in the midst of either one.

The ability to do ALL things without grumbling and complaining, comes from learning divine viewpoint, and applying same with the enabling (3) power to do so that comes from God.

A craftsman, having the best tools on the market, will find them useless if they are not plugged in to the appropriate power source and turned on.

Likewise, having all the appropriate Biblical doctrines will not accomplish anything if they are not applied and carried out with the enabling power that God supplies.

Attempting to overcome satanic attacks and strongholds with the limitations of our human resources will prove to be an exhausting, frustrating, and unproductive experience.

1Cor. 10: 13 is often misunderstood, leaving untaught believers with the impression that God will not allow us to be to be tempted (or to face an adversity) beyond what we can handle.

But when one reads the e-n-t-i-r-e verse, one learns that what God is saying is that when we ARE in over our heads, facing great temptation (or adversity, that HE sends or allows to take place (4), He will provide us with the means, strength, and enabling power to either escape, or to endure it, for as long as it takes to accomplish His objective.

In 1Cor. 10: 13, we read (in part), “… God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted (or to face adversity) beyond what you are able (to endure), but WITH the temptation (or adversity that He sends or allows to take place, He) will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it (1Cor. 10: 13 NASB2020 parentheses mine).”

End Of Part One

(1) Rom. 3: 28 (2) Job 2:10 (3) John 15: 5 (4) Job 2: 10