abigya
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Attitude check
by Joyce Meyer
Our attitude is our thought life turned inside out.
Even if people can’t see our thoughts, they can see our attitude because it shows up in our body language and facial expressions.
Posture Review
The posture, meaning the perspective or outlook that we take toward the life that we have, is our attitude. Of course, we all don’t have the same life. Honestly, some of us seem to have been given an easier life than others. On the other hand, with others it just seems like we’ve been given a rougher road to go in life than most people. However, no matter what our circumstances are in life, God’s grace is sufficient.
Still, if we adopt a self-pitying attitude or a resentful attitude toward the life that we have, it’s only going make our circumstances worse. If we choose to keep a positive attitude, God can cause the things that Satan has meant for harm in our lives to work out not only for our good, but also for the good of many other people.
I believe when we seem to go through rougher times in life than most people, it’s because God wants to use us in a powerful way to help many other people who are hurting. God’s looking for experienced workers in His kingdom.
Firsthand Experience
When I talk about overcoming abuse, I talk from my own experience. When I talk about forgiving people who have hurt us, I talk from my experience. When I talk about breaking addictions, I talk from experience. Almost all of us in life are more open to listen to someone who has experienced the same things that we’ve experienced. Mainly—because we believe if they have experienced it firsthand, they understand and know what they’re talking about—especially more so than someone who has just pulled information together from a book.
Perhaps you’re thinking, Well, it’s fine for you to tell me to have a good, positive attitude, but you haven’t had my life. I’ve really had it rough.
Maybe you have. I can’t explain why some people have wonder¬ful lives, and yet, you and I didn’t have a wonderful childhood and every privilege like some people have been given. However, we can trust God. Although life is not fair, God is just. He is fair. He can take wrong things and make them right. He can give us double for our trouble. Nothing we go through in life is wasted with God. If we put our trust in Him, He will use everything that has not been good in our lives and work it out for our good.
Personality Test
We are responsible for the posture we take, and our own personalities have a part in this. There are some of us who are going to have to work harder at being positive because our personalities are a little more melancholy. Then there are some of us who seem to have a “gift” for seeing what’s wrong with everything. If we don’t let the devil work through it, it can be useful. Seeing what’s wrong with something, if we’re going to be a part of helping to fix it and turn it around in the right direction, can be good. But people who have this type of gift and aren’t following the leading of the Holy Spirit can just make things worse everywhere they go. I know because I used to be the type.
I could walk into a newly decorated room and someone could ask me, “Well, how do you like my new decorations?” With my personality, I could say something like, “W-e-l-l…it looks nice, but you’ve got a piece of wallpaper loose up there in the corner.” I always saw what was wrong. Now I’ve learned that even though I still see those things, that being negative and critical really pulls people down and is something I don’t need to be doing.
So when I say choose to have a good attitude, I know it’s going to be easier for some more than others. My husband doesn’t have to work as hard at having a good attitude as I do. I have to work at it harder because my personality is different than his. However, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to have the life that Jesus died for me to have because I spent enough years of my life being unhappy. I don’t want to spend anymore unhappy days.
Choose to Enjoy!
You and I won’t enjoy our life if we have a bad attitude. It’s not our circumstances that make us so unhappy. It’s our attitude toward our circumstances. Jesus has provided a great life for us to have, but even so, if we have a bad attitude, we can miss out on what He has planned for us.
Jesus said, …I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows) (John 10:10). I believe that our attitude is really what determines what kind of life we’re going to have. If you haven’t chosen to have a positive attitude in life no matter what your circumstances, I hope you will make your mind up today to enjoy your life.
by Joyce Meyer
Our attitude is our thought life turned inside out.
Even if people can’t see our thoughts, they can see our attitude because it shows up in our body language and facial expressions.
Posture Review
The posture, meaning the perspective or outlook that we take toward the life that we have, is our attitude. Of course, we all don’t have the same life. Honestly, some of us seem to have been given an easier life than others. On the other hand, with others it just seems like we’ve been given a rougher road to go in life than most people. However, no matter what our circumstances are in life, God’s grace is sufficient.
Still, if we adopt a self-pitying attitude or a resentful attitude toward the life that we have, it’s only going make our circumstances worse. If we choose to keep a positive attitude, God can cause the things that Satan has meant for harm in our lives to work out not only for our good, but also for the good of many other people.
I believe when we seem to go through rougher times in life than most people, it’s because God wants to use us in a powerful way to help many other people who are hurting. God’s looking for experienced workers in His kingdom.
Firsthand Experience
When I talk about overcoming abuse, I talk from my own experience. When I talk about forgiving people who have hurt us, I talk from my experience. When I talk about breaking addictions, I talk from experience. Almost all of us in life are more open to listen to someone who has experienced the same things that we’ve experienced. Mainly—because we believe if they have experienced it firsthand, they understand and know what they’re talking about—especially more so than someone who has just pulled information together from a book.
Perhaps you’re thinking, Well, it’s fine for you to tell me to have a good, positive attitude, but you haven’t had my life. I’ve really had it rough.
Maybe you have. I can’t explain why some people have wonder¬ful lives, and yet, you and I didn’t have a wonderful childhood and every privilege like some people have been given. However, we can trust God. Although life is not fair, God is just. He is fair. He can take wrong things and make them right. He can give us double for our trouble. Nothing we go through in life is wasted with God. If we put our trust in Him, He will use everything that has not been good in our lives and work it out for our good.
Personality Test
We are responsible for the posture we take, and our own personalities have a part in this. There are some of us who are going to have to work harder at being positive because our personalities are a little more melancholy. Then there are some of us who seem to have a “gift” for seeing what’s wrong with everything. If we don’t let the devil work through it, it can be useful. Seeing what’s wrong with something, if we’re going to be a part of helping to fix it and turn it around in the right direction, can be good. But people who have this type of gift and aren’t following the leading of the Holy Spirit can just make things worse everywhere they go. I know because I used to be the type.
I could walk into a newly decorated room and someone could ask me, “Well, how do you like my new decorations?” With my personality, I could say something like, “W-e-l-l…it looks nice, but you’ve got a piece of wallpaper loose up there in the corner.” I always saw what was wrong. Now I’ve learned that even though I still see those things, that being negative and critical really pulls people down and is something I don’t need to be doing.
So when I say choose to have a good attitude, I know it’s going to be easier for some more than others. My husband doesn’t have to work as hard at having a good attitude as I do. I have to work at it harder because my personality is different than his. However, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to have the life that Jesus died for me to have because I spent enough years of my life being unhappy. I don’t want to spend anymore unhappy days.
Choose to Enjoy!
You and I won’t enjoy our life if we have a bad attitude. It’s not our circumstances that make us so unhappy. It’s our attitude toward our circumstances. Jesus has provided a great life for us to have, but even so, if we have a bad attitude, we can miss out on what He has planned for us.
Jesus said, …I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows) (John 10:10). I believe that our attitude is really what determines what kind of life we’re going to have. If you haven’t chosen to have a positive attitude in life no matter what your circumstances, I hope you will make your mind up today to enjoy your life.
