Shine Humble

It's the season of Christmas lights!! Oh how I love them!! In fact, I see no reason to take them down after December fades away...at least the white ones. They lift the spirits and send out a positive, hopeful feelings to me. In the dark winter mornings, my living room lights welcome me to the day and make waking a pleasure. 

After studying Philippians 2, they know remind me to watch my attitude and words...to be humble, by remembering the grace I've been given. You see, when we refrain from grumbling...those guttural noises we emit showing an emotional dissatisfaction with God's providence in our lives...like messy children, an imperfect spouse, things breaking or illness...we shine.

When we refrain from criticising God's providence in our lives, questioning Him and arguing with Divinity...like, why me? Why can't  I have? Or, why do THEY get to? ...we shine.

We shine like white Christmas lights against the dark morning, just before dawn. We captivate eyes that are craving beauty and truth. We send a message of quiet hope, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. I never really equated grumbling and complaining with perversion, but that's how God sees it. I guess I can relate when my little kids would ungratefully whine in response to my sacrificial love. I then can see how these little, helpless people would actually die if I neglected them...and they seem to think they deserve something. I would never give them a stone if they needed a fish!  What a crooked way to think...that we deserve anything from almighty God!

Should we just be content to sit there and shine for our own glory? Philippians says to "hold forth the word of life" as we shine.  Tell those craving eyes about the source of our light. Tell them how we've graced by Jesus and how that changes everything. Humbly, refrain from complaining and think about...talk about...all you have been given. If you can't think of anything, just quietly breathe, in and out...with or without a yoga mat...and imagine not being able to do that.

Why would anyone want a Jesus that didn't make them full of joy?

Shine.

"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 perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life."

Philippians 2:14-15