Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. (Philippians 2:14, 15 ESV)
Grateful
This verse makes a lot more sense than you might think it does. The sense of it starts, actually, in the middle, with the declaration that we are children of God.
That is the foundation of who we are. We are not Americans, Kansans, Republicans, middle-classers, bacon-eaters, well-educated, attractive or nice folk. We are children of God.
That means we trust Him, like children. That means we accept His decisions about our lives, whether we understand them or not. That means we do not argue with Him, resent Him, or desert Him. THAT is how Paul is referring to us as blameless. We are obviously sinners, wearing Christ’s sinlessness like a robe… but particularly we are blameless in our acceptance of His work in our lives. Like our big brother, we say, “nevertheless, Your will be done.” (Luke 22:42)
The rest of the world might be crooked and twisted, but we shine as lights NOT because we are perfect or sinless, but rather because we are in submission to Him. Both in our salvation AND in our acceptance of the lives He weaves us into.
We are peculiar, our trust lets us live gratefully.