Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

Philippians 2:14-16a – Do everything without complaining or arguing, 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 as you hold out the word of life. (NIV)

Our dogs were barking and barking. Every time I went out to speak to them about this, they would calm down but begin barking again as soon as I turned back into the house. Watching them through the window by the door, I realized that they were gathering in a circle and barking at a stand of three large pines. Uh huh, I thought. I think I know what is going on.

I walked out into the yard, and sure enough, there was a cheeky squirrel up in one of those trees, taunting the dogs and racing up and down along branches well out of their reach.

I laughed to myself as I thought how foolish the dogs were being, standing there barking at the squirrel in the tree when they had absolutely no chance of catching him by simply standing there yapping. If they wanted to catch him, they needed to have a much better plan than that.

Likewise, we, too, need a good plan, as God's people, if we are going to successfully "hold out the word of life" within us to others "in a crooked and depraved generation". Standing around yapping and barking and complaining to one another about the state of the country, the world, and the church has about as much chance of changing anything as my dogs hoping to catch that squirrel by standing at the base of the tree and barking.

Thankfully, God has given us such a plan. He lets us know through Paul's letters to the Ephesians and the believers in Philippi that we need to talk less, yap less, bark and complain less, and work more to do any and all good works "without complaining or arguing", so that we "may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault" — children who then "shine like stars in the universe" as we offer forth to the world the word of life: Jesus Christ.

When we are focused upon walking with God each day, doing all the good that we can as He calls us to, we soon discover that we have very little time to yap and bark and argue and complain about the cheeky squirrels of life who seek to distract us from the "good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Prayer: Father, thank You so much that Your Word grants us wisdom and direction in regard to becoming blameless, pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which we will shine like stars in the universe as we hold the word of life as an offering to those around us. May we choose to focus on these instructions and not on the cheeky squirrels of this life whose job it is to distract us from walking rightly with You. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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