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I was preparing a sermon titled, "Knowing God's Will and Doing It."
It was based on Philippians 2:12-16. When I read, "Do all things
without murmurings and disputings," I thought about the story of the
murmuring monk.
A man who admired a certain monastic order believed it was God's will
for him to become a monk. This particular order required a vow of
silence, which the man gladly gave. The vow meant that he could speak
only two words a year, and then, only at his yearly audience with the
abbot, the head of the monastery.
After his first year at the monastery, the monk appeared before the
abbot, and when the abbot nodded at the monk, a signal to speak, the
monk said, "Bed, hard." The abbot nodded again, ending the interview.
The second year, the monk appeared before the abbot, and when permitted
to speak, he said, "Cell, cold." The abbot nodded, and the monk left.
The third year, the monk appeared before the abbot, and when permitted
to speak, he said, "Food, terrible." The abbot nodded and the monk
left.
The fourth year, the monk appeared before the abbot, and when permitted
to speak, he said, "I quit." The abbot replied, "Brother, I'm not
surprised. All you have done for the past four years is complain."
The abbot was quite right. Though eight words of complaint in four
years is a lot better than the rest of us can do, the abbot made his
point. Whether we are part of a monastery or a church, if we all know
God's will and experience His energizing us to do it, we should be able
to do all things without murmurings and disputings.
At the next church business meeting, remember the murmuring monk.
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