More Than a Chore Chart

My daughters are entering their summer break from school. Like every parent, we’re beginning this summer season full of optimism, hoping that the girls will do more than sit on the couch, wasting away the hours by watching mindless television and playing video games. We’ll have chore charts, activities, and responsibilities for them to balance out their vacation time. I’m also sure that like most parents, we’ll grow tired of reminding them to accomplish all of those things once August arrives!

I’m reminded of my childhood summers. After the excitement of freedom wore off and the boredom set in, my two younger brothers and I would inevitably complain about the lack of things our parents would do to cater to our entertainment. Every parent has heard the cry:

“I’m bored!”

My mother solved this by a now-famous phrase of hers:

“I’m thinking of jobs you can do around the house.”

That veiled threat would quickly snap us out of our complaining moods. We’d much rather find our own fun than do extra chores.

Looking back, I realize our complaints weren’t really about boredom. We weren’t lacking things to do. We simply wanted someone else to solve our problem for us.

One of the things I’ve noticed about complaining is that it is an inherently selfish activity. You rarely see a selfless complainer or grumbler. Selflessness is really the antidote to a complaining spirit.

How do we become truly selfless? We remind ourselves that life isn’t about us! In Philippians 2, Paul has just pointed believers to the ultimate example of selflessness: Jesus, who willingly humbled Himself and become obedient to death on a cross.

My girls may someday remember the verse that we have used with them since their earliest days. It’s at the beginning of our passage this week: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” from Philippians 2:14. As we’ll see this Sunday, we can only live that way when we remember that we’ve been made blameless through the work of Christ on our behalf. When we do, we become the kind of people who shine brightly in a world filled with grumbling and complaint.