Hi friends, we're back to blog our devotional messages on NEMA.

Today's word is taken from Philippians
14 Do everything without complaining or arguing,
15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
16 as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.


Today I was at a thanksgiving party with a big group of us from church at Pasir Ris, Aloha Resort. We played many, many, and many games today. I was really exhausted. We played the Amazing Race and there were so many stations. But after the race, we headed to the resort for our short-tele match before our dinner. I was so tired, and then there came a game where balloons were required. For your information, "Dennis detests balloons." So I didn't really want to play the game. I whined and complained and murmured and grumbled in my heart and with my tongue. Then the Holy Spirit said to me, "Stop complaining and just play." I felt that God wanted me to overcome my fear of balloons because it was just hindering me from enjoying the fun. The event was fun, but in the game where the balloons were involved, all I cared about was MYSELF.

So my revelation to me today and tonight was exactly in alignment to what I came across today in the Holy Bible. This relates to us through the example which I shared above, and also through the example of the children of Israel regarding the Promise Land.

Three things you need to know about arguing and complaining:

1. There is power in confession.

The one thing that the children of Israel would ALWAYS say to Moses during their journey to the Promise Land whenever the journey exhausted them was these words, "Why did you lead us out into the wilderness to die? We could have died back in Egypt." Even when they reached the Promise Land, they refused to enter because they thought they were gonna die. Because they always complained about death, they really ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and all 20 years and above died in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb because God said that the both of them had a different spirit. Joshua and Caleb never complained, the only they spoke when they reached the Promise Land was, "God is with us and we CAN possess the land." After the 40 year wilderness experience, Joshua and Caleb got into the land.

2. Complaining weakens your faith.

The children of Israel always complained and doubted God's anointing upon Moses. At the Promise Land, they still complained and said, "We are grasshoppers in the enemies eyes." They complained and said to Moses, "Why did you bring us here to be killed by our enemies when we could have died back in Egypt?" God said to Moses, "All 20 years and above, except Joshua and Caleb, cannot enter the Promise Land." Reason is simple: They had no faith to believe and they doubted God and they doubted THEMSELVES. So when they complained, fear and doubt came upon them because they were afraid to "DIE." God said through Moses that if the Israelites when in to fight, they would lose. The Israelites couldn't believe the word of God through Moses and changed their minds and went to fight after that but......they LOST! Many Israelites died, and many were chased so far away places. Through fear and doubt, there is defeat.

3. Arguing brings dissension.

The Bible says in Proverbs that one of the things that God hates, is division among people. Arguing will not solve problems, even if it is with yourself. It will only harm yourself and the other person.

4. Complaining brings self-centeredness.
The children of Israel were not exactly interested in God. They just wanted to find a land that they could enjoy in, and not do any hard work. They wanted God to do everything for them. So they started complaining against God in their hearts and with their tongues.

At the end of the day, complaining and arguing does not glorify God. So for me to grumble to myself and to God in one corner, allowing myself to lose in the game just so that I could escape the balloons, I became self-centered for that moment without even realizing until God enlightened me. By complaining and locking my heart up even for one game, it gives people a bad impression of me, and makes me less Christ-like because Jesus would not have done that. Jesus was not afraid of anything. Jesus did what He needed to do, in order that He could be a good testimony. We all ought to do the same.

So let's complaining and arguing, because it is not glorifying to God. And when we breakthrough that, the passage of scripture says that "we will shine like stars!"

God bless you