Whining On the Inside, That's Better, Right?

             Last week, I posted some thoughts about Philippians 2:14-15. I wanted to add a few thoughts on top of that.

            I looked up the word complaining that's used in verse 14 in a Bible Lexicon and noted that the Greek word (goggusmos) is the same word used to indicate a "secret displeasure not openly avowed." So verse 14 reads something like this:

             Everyone be the cause of everything without any secret displeasure not openly avowed and displeasure and arguing. (Interlinear Bible)

            It's important to note that this does not take away from the verse from our English understanding of it. The word complaining as used in English means "to express grief, pain, or discontent" (according to Merriam-Webster) and the Greek goggusmos also means muttering or mutter, which are synonyms with complain. This extra meaning we get from goggusmos simply adds to the command.

           To provide a better illustration, imagine you're asked to walk the dog in the rain. You get up and neither argue nor say anything about it, but simply take the dog into the downpour. While on the walk, however, you think about how awful the rain is, how inconvenient this dog walk is, and how you'd rather be doing anything else. This is still going against this verse, because you are only expressing your displeasure secretly and not avowing it openly.

          Remember that God cares more about what's in your heart than what you display on the outside (1 Samuel 16:7), so complaining on the inside is just the same to God as complaining outwardly. I don't say this all to condemn or make any of my readers feel bad, I just want you to be aware of what the Bible says so that you can further please God.

         That's the most important thing, right?