“凡所行的，都不要發(fā)怨言，起爭論， 使你們無可指摘，誠實(shí)無偽，在這彎曲悖謬的世代作　神無瑕疵的兒女。你們顯在這世代中，好像明光照耀， 將生命的道表明出來，叫我在基督的日子好夸我沒有空跑，也沒有徒勞。” 腓立比書 2:14-16

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腓立比書二章5節(jié)，保羅鼓勵我們“當(dāng)以基督耶穌的心為心”。只是我們常常陷入一個困境：比起披戴基督的謙卑和順服，我們常常以“發(fā)怨言”和“起爭論”來面對生活的種種。上一回提到保羅在12-13節(jié)中鼓勵信徒操練并展現(xiàn)出基督的樣式（做成得救的工夫），這里，保羅直面對抗一種不順服的態(tài)度：當(dāng)事情不按我們的心意進(jìn)行時，就怨聲載道；當(dāng)別人的意見不與我們相合時，就起沖突爭論。這兩種態(tài)度是一個信號：我們在生活的某些方面，還不能全心全意來信靠天父。13節(jié)提到，天父向我們心懷美意，并且在我們的立志行事中帶領(lǐng)我們。

經(jīng)常抱怨的人以自己的需要和舒適為出發(fā)點(diǎn)，常有未能實(shí)現(xiàn)的預(yù)期使他們失望，總能感覺有人在虧欠他們。如此，即使是神的新的工作的開始，對他們來說也難以接受，因?yàn)槠x自己的預(yù)期和熟悉的方式。喜愛爭論的人以自己的視角和觀點(diǎn)為出發(fā)點(diǎn)，把持不同意見，特別是相反意見的人當(dāng)作對手，愿意花時間與神和教會抗?fàn)帲粸榱粟A得爭論，往往忽略了與弟兄姊妹彼此相愛的誡命，與神的關(guān)系也出現(xiàn)問題。抱怨者無法與處境際遇和好，爭論者無法與弟兄姊妹和好，兩者最后都難免落入試探，在這彎曲悖謬的世代里失去喜樂和平安，失去基督徒的光鹽作用。

那些愿意從抱怨和爭論中脫離出來的基督徒就不至于如此。從抱怨和爭論中脫離出來，謙卑自己，接受神借著環(huán)境對自己的陶造，是在耶穌基督里成長以致成熟的開始。13節(jié)告訴我們，神對我們的生命懷著美意，有時候神正是借著不甚美好的環(huán)境在我們里面開始并成就他的工作。抱怨和爭論顯明我們想要倚靠自己的理解和方式，而不是信靠神。15-16節(jié)告訴我們，控制住自己的心思和舌頭，不發(fā)怨言、不起爭論，對于成為“無可指摘，誠實(shí)無偽”的基督徒是必要的。這個時代彎曲悖謬，各人任意而行，而神無瑕疵的兒女將如明光照耀，將得“圣潔”為賞賜，并將生命的道表明出來。光明與黑暗，你往何處去呢？是就光，還是就暗呢？若是立志在這世代中保持潔凈如明光照耀，先從停下抱怨和止息爭論開始吧。要知道，這是屬靈健身房的操練項(xiàng)目之一。

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Philippians 2: 14-16

Just as in verse 5, we are called to a Jesus attitude, many fall prey to another attitude which substitutes the Jesus attitude of humility and obedience in our lives: complaining and arguing. After verse 12-13, encouraging the believers to work out and display the Jesus attitude in their lives, Paul immediately confronts the greatest challenge to Christian obedience: our complaints when things do not go our way, and our insistence on arguing when our opinions are not valued. We struggle against these un-Jesus like attitudes whenever we mistrust the Father who in Verse 13 says is directing our spiritual training, and working in us.

Complainers only seek to meet their own needs and are unwilling to leave their comfort zone. They live in a world with unmet expectations and their disappointment leads them to believe that someone owes them. They thus find it hard to accept God's new work in their lives because it is so different from their prior experiences. Arguers see things from only their own angle and treat all other perspectives, especially opposing one, as the enemy. They spend their time combatting God and his church, failing to love their fellow brothers and sisters and failing to love God because they want to win their argument. The end result: Complainers cannot reconcile with their circumstances and Arguers cannot reconcile with their brothers and sisters. Both end up in temptation, both find themselves without peace and joy in a perverse world.

But the man who is able to free himself from complaints and argument to accept God's moulding finds new growth and maturity in Jesus. Complaining and arguing causes us to rely on our own understanding and less on 'God's purpose and his will' (verse 13). Verse 15 and 16 tells us the result of obedience without complaint or argument, 'we shine like stars'. We have the reward of holiness, in a world which trains its residents in perverseness and evil. Based on these three verses, where are you headed? Are you moving closer to the light or closer to the darkness? If your answer is light, it is time to stop complaining and arguing, and start accepting God's training.

（圖片來自網(wǎng)絡(luò)）