A
joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed
spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
John
Maxwell wrote, "Do you feel the world is
treating you well? If your attitude toward the
world is excellent, you will receive excellent
results. If you feel so-so about the world, your
response from that world will be average. Feel
badly about your world and you will seem to have
only negative feedback from life."
Nothing shapes us more in life, whether for good
or ill, than our attitudes. That one person can
be broken by problems in his life and another
comes through stronger facing those same
problems testifies to this truth. Like the old
saying goes, it's not what happens to you in
life but what you do with it. So how’s your
attitude?
Do you have a proper
attitude toward adversity?
[Job] said, “Naked I
came from my mother’s womb, and naked
shall I return. The Lord gave, and the
Lord has taken away; blessed be the name
of the Lord.” In all this Job did not
sin or charge God with wrong. (Job
1:21-22) You may indeed have a tough and
trying challenge ahead of you. But you
can know this—self-pity never made any
job any easier. Believe God when he
said, “No temptation has overtaken you
that is not common to man. God is
faithful, and he will not let you be
tempted beyond your ability, but with
the temptation he will also provide the
way of escape, that you may be able to
endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). You
are not unique in your suffering. Other
people have been through trials like
yours and have endured to the glory of
God. It’s not a matter of can you but
will you?
Do you have a proper
attitude toward service?
Make a joyful noise to
the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord
with gladness! Come into his presence
with singing! (Psalm 100:1-2) Is serving
God and serving other people something
you do gladly or grudgingly? Do you tend
to whistle or whine while you work?
Jesus said “The greatest among you shall
be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11).
That’s upside down from the way the
world thinks. The world says your
greatness is determined by who and how
many are waiting on you hand and foot.
Jesus says you grow great by growing
humble. And if you really want to be a
mature servant, don’t worry about
whether anyone notices the good you do
or rewards you for it. God knows. That
is enough (Matthew 6:1-4).
Do you have a proper
attitude toward others?
Let your reasonableness
be known to everyone. The Lord is at
hand; (Philippians 4:5). Jesus says the
world’s way to just be kind to those who
are kind to us (Matthew 5:43-47). Do you
snub people or give them a cold shoulder
because you’ve got a problem with them?
Do you especially treat people nice who
are part of your group or clique? If so,
then you’re acting like the world. But
if you openly treat all people with
kindness and warmth, then you’re acting
like your Father in heaven (Matthew
5:48).
We
can't control everything or everyone we come in
contact with. But we can always control our
attitude. What will be yours?
God bless you,
Brad Fry
