Sunday School

Welcome back to Sunday School! We hope you had a blessed week and that you had the great joy of growing closer to the Lord this week. Today we are looking at a topic that I think a lot of us need to hear, especially after going through a crazy 2020 and an even crazier start to 2021. Today we are looking at the topic of COMPLAINING. In Philippians 2:14-18, it says:

^{14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.}

I don’t know about you, but I sure needed to hear this verse because I have done more than my fair share of complaining over the last year. I’ve complained about Coronavirus, quarantine, politics, the government, people who don’t see things my way, and many other things. I know I’m not alone in this because if you spend anytime at all on the internet, it seems like a good portion of the people there are just looking for something to complain about. God’s Word reminds of a few key things in this passage:

1. Complaining is Dangerous: our focus should be on being faithful people that see the hand of God in the circumstances that surround us. We should see that whatever has happened, good or bad, is allowed by the will of God. He rules, and we should have faith that whatever has occurred serves a purpose in His Kingdom. Complaining against the circumstances of life, can quickly become complaining about the Lord. That is why the passage seeks for us to be “pure and blameless.”
2. Be the Light: now hear me out, God is not saying that the world around you is not broken or wrong. I know when I tell my children to stop complaining they often think I don’t understand their frustration. God’s Word shows that He understands our frustration. It says this world is ” crooked and perverted.” I think this is important for us to know. God is not asking you to ignore the darkness. No, He is telling us to be light in that darkness by holding onto scripture. Don’t be consumed by the darkness and complain about it, rather be the light in the darkness and change it by knowing what the Bible says and living it out.
3. Rejoice in God and His family: Paul tells us in the midst of this broken world to have joy and to sing God’s praises. Why? Because the darkness did not consume us. Because the work God has allowed us to do has eternal value. Because the relationships we have with other believers is beautiful and good. Because in the end, the light of God will push back all this darkness.

So, yes, the world can be a dark and ugly place. You don’t have to ignore that, but don’t let that pull you down into the darkness. Don’t complain, rather be the light of God in the midst of that darkness. May you go with God and may you be the light. See you soon. ❤️

Check out last week’s Sunday School Lesson HERE