Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world…                                                                                                          

                                                                                                         Philippians 2:14-15 

As believers, we are to be blameless in a world filled with corruption. We are to be seen as innocent in a society overflowing with injustice. We are to be above reproach so that we can easily be identified as those who belong to God. In a crooked and perverse generation, we are to shine as lights in the darkness. And how does Paul say that we can accomplish all of the above? By doing all things without grumbling or disputing.

To grumble is to possess a secret displeasure about our involvement in something. People who grumble may be doing the right thing but not with the right intentions or motives. They will often speak of their displeasure but it is usually spoken as a kind of mumbling. We can probably all relate to the child who owes his/her sibling an apology. The child wants nothing to do with apologizing but, unfortunately for them, the parents have stepped into the situation and have demanded that the apology be made. Because the child is forced to something that he/she does not want to do, they perform the act but they do it begrudgingly. With clinched teeth and an insincere tone, they say the words, “I’m sorry.” With the parents now satisfied, the child is left to stew in his/her own dissatisfaction of having to so such a thing. When we do the right thing but with an apprehensive and insincere spirit, we are the epitome of “grumbling.”

Paul couples his instruction of not grumbling with an admonition to avoid disputing. This word can be defined as “deliberating within oneself.” It means that we are hesitant about, and perhaps even doubt, what is being done. Because of the apprehensiveness of this mindset, this attitude can often lead to arguing and fighting. Disagreements about how something should be done or even if it should be done at all are often at the forefront of disputes. With different opinions come different styles and preferences. That alone is not the problem but when we allow ourselves to get to the place in which we are unwilling to listen to the thoughts and opinions of others, we begin moving toward disunity and begin to exemplify what Paul describes as “disputing.”

I find it interesting that the sentence written before this passage tells us that it is God who is at work within us giving us the ability to do His work. That tells me that even as Christian individuals, there is a danger of yielding to the flesh. As we continue to serve God, we need to always check our motives and attitudes to make sure that they are above reproach and grounded in love for others. 

So why is the avoidance of grumbling and disputing so important to the church? The integrity of our message is at stake. The gospel is true whether someone believes and receives it or not. Nothing that we do as individuals takes anything away from the truth of the gospel. However, when the actions of the messenger do not correlate with the message being presented, we open up opportunities for the hearer to doubt our authenticity. To avoid grumbling and disputing is to insure that we are being the best stewards of the gospel by living out the very good news of Jesus.

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” Something we should keep in the forefront of our thoughts and actions!