Philippians 2:4 - "Do everything without complaining or arguing"" (NIV)

There are always things we have to do that we just can't stand. Really, how many of us enjoy taking our finals, bringing out the garbage, or cleaning our rooms? We'd all love the opportunity to party and have fun all day long. Yet we all have responsibilities.

It's easy to get bogged down by the negative side of our responsibilities, and often it comes out in the form of complaints that lead to arguments with family, teachers, youth leaders, etc. We all do it. We gripe or voice our displeasure. Yet God tells us that we need to move beyond complaining and learn to take our responsibilities seriously. Instead take the time to do those chores, study for those tests, and write those papers without a complaint. Soon you'll find that not complaining leaves you more time and energy to get those things done so you can really focus on more important things, like your relationship with God.

Sometimes we need a little fluff, right? If we take life too seriously and deny ourselves a little fun and laughter, well, then life becomes too serious. The Bible clearly shows us moments of joy and celebration. There were weddings, parades, dancing, and more. For some of us there are the Oscars to enjoy the frivolous fun that Hollywood can sometimes provide.

Does that mean we should take the Oscars too seriously? No. The key in this situation is to not lose our balance when it comes to enjoying a bit of fluff in a life of honoring God. There are lessons involving gluttony and excesses that Hollywood puts on parade that evening. Diamonds that most of us could never afford grace the red carpet, women starve themselves to fit into dresses, and money that could be used to feed the poor or house the homeless is instead poured into one night of glamour. Yet there are heartwarming moments when we see people who came up from nothing achieving their dreams, thanking God, and trying to use their celebrity for good.

So, as in most of our life situations, there is always a need to look at situations with a sense of balance.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Christian teens from 215 metropolitan Detroit youth groups are fasting for 30 hours in order to help those in need by raising funds. The students range from 7th to 12th grade, and the idea is to raise money for World Vision, a Chrisitan relief group.

The youth groups in Detroit are not the only ones participating. Over 500,000 youth worldwide will participate, and the group expects to raise over $12 million during the 30-Hour Famine. So, while fasting is a useful tool in reinforcing your own faith, it can also be a helpful spiritual discipline to keep our eyes on those around us who may not have our privileges.

The other evening I was having a conversation with a friend of mine about his dating troubles. He is older and not married, and often feels the pressure of those around him to find "the one." The conversation sat with me a while, because I firmly believe that God will bring us the right person in His time, not ours. Yet the thoughts about our impatience with things began to flow a little more as I chewed a bit on the concept:

Do we want thing to be right, or do we want them to be easy?

A lot of times we wish things were easier than they are. Yet, when things come to us very easily, we tend to take them for granted. It sounds great at first to get everything you wish for without having to lift a finger, but is it that great? When you have everything what is left? Or, if you don't have to work for anything, how much do you appreciate it. Think about a school project you worked and slaved over to get a good grade. It probably felt better than any other good grade, because you know that you put everything into it.

It's not that different with emotional and spiritual aspects of our lives. In our dating lives, it's may be better for us to wait to date the right person rather than date people for the sake of dating, which can taint our views of love and life. When we take time out of our busy schedules to participate in Outreach or go to church, it's a sacrifice of time. We sometimes have to work on our relationship with God in tough times, because it doesn't always come easy when we are facing difficulties.

Yet, when we come out of the darkness, after being patient and knowing that we didn't compromise ourselves to take the easy road, the rewards are so much greater than we could have ever imagined.