It 's Better Not to be Bitter

UV 1108/10,000 It’s Better not to Be Bitter

Do all things without murmurings and disputings
Philippians 2 v 14

As believers, we are mandated to do all things without complaining and without arguments and contention. Murmuring is basically the things we say to ourselves, mostly silently, complaining about what has happened to us even though we have been faithful and diligent. We usually murmur to internalise our grief, our disappointment or sense of having been dealt with unjustly. The cause of our regret may be real or imaginary. We feel we cannot share our sense of regret or bitterness with anyone and so we bottle up our feelings and allow it to simmer within. God listens like no one else to our self talk, to our inner dialogue as well as He discerns the pattern of our thoughts and desires. He is either pleased or displeased depending on whether we are thankful deep inside or whether we are grumbling and bitter about many things that is happening or has happened in the past.

The very word “ murmur” means to pointlessly and to repeatedly keep whining within ourselves. Whiners cannot be winners. It irritates both God and man. We need to focus on all the signs of God’s faithfulness in our lives and not just that one thing that disappointed us. The Israelites after having experienced first hand the mighty deliverance from bondage, instead of looking to God with awe and thanksgiving, started complaining about not having food. When they were given manna from heaven, they murmured about not having meat to eat. When they were given the meat of quails, they complained about not having water. When they were given water, they complained that the water was bitter and not fit to drink. When they faced hostile enemies who were minor powers compared with the might of Pharaoh, they murmured and God let many die of bites of serpents in the desert. At each new test of their faith, they should have just looked back at what God had done for them in the past and been thankful as well as hopeful that He will do yet another miracle to deal with their new challenge. The test of our faith is whether we are looking back with thanksgiving and looking forward with hope and confidence in the Lord. Our powerful positive model to emulate is Jesus who throw all His tests and tribulations up to the cross and beyond never once complained to the Lord that He was being made to bear a burden that was too heavy and unjust for Him. He never murmured that though He is the architect of the universe, He was sent into the world penniless.

We are to also avoid pointless arguments, meaningless disputes, bitter conflicts and ego clashes. We need to be sensitive to the peace-loving nature of God. Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God. By our words and actions, we should not add fuel to the fire of contentious matters and persons. The words, “ all things” implies that we are to avoid fights whether at home in our families or at our workplace or in the streets, we are to do our best to live at peace with everybody including difficult persons, sworn enemies, subtle foes and secret rivals. Our reliance should be on the power of God to deal with slights, insults, betrayal, criticisms and other causes of disputes.

Prateep V Philip