Let’s start out with a question for you today. How’s your attitude?
Maybe things are going great and you’re feeling happy and motivated. You could be on the other end of the spectrum – grumpy and discouraged – or somewhere in between.
I will confess that earlier this week, my attitude was not the greatest. It all centered on a minor inconvenience that hardly affected me, but I still felt annoyed by it.
Props to my husband…he handled it with no complaining or grumbling…so then I felt even worse about my disgruntled frame of mind!
Before I sat down to read my Bible on Monday morning, I talked to God about how I was feeling. I sensed an undercurrent of dissatisfaction that I knew needed to be corrected.
Isn’t God good to give us just what we need by encouraging us through His Word? [Side note: this is not the point of this post, but I was reminded of the importance of reading my Bible on a regular basis because that’s where God most often speaks to me.]
Do you know what I needed that day? A changed perspective. And I found it in Romans 12:12.
“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;“
I realized that there were three things I could do right then that would improve my attitude for the rest of the day.
1. Choose joy.
I could focus on the situation that wasn’t what I wanted it to be. Or I could look at all my blessings and thank God for them.
Of all people, we as Christians have hope. We have hope for today because God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. We have hope for tomorrow because He is faithful and always keeps His promises. We have hope for eternity because our final home is in Heaven.
You and I don’t get to choose all that happens to us today, but we do get to choose how to respond in every situation. Let’s be intentional in choosing joy.
Want a practical way to increase your joy right away? Listen to some music that encourages your soul – and sing along!
2. Practice patience.
Remember all those Bible admonitions to wait on the Lord? We all have seasons of waiting, of trusting that God will meet the need, will show us the next step.
The verse above tells us to be patient in tribulation. Isn’t that when it’s the most difficult? We want out of our trouble or suffering as quickly as possible!
Yet our God is sovereign. He will bring an end to our trial in HIS timing, not ours.
I like this quote from Peter Marshall. “Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work.“
3. Pray about everything.
God knows all about my situation. But I believe that He still wants me to talk to Him about it. It’s okay to tell Him if I’m frustrated or unhappy.
Then I can turn to Him in faith. I can bring my need to Him, and ask Him to meet it, ultimately praying for His will to be done.
Our verse above admonishes us to be steadfast in prayer. Stand firm. Don’t give up. Believe that God hears and will answer.
As my dad often said, attitude is everything. I know I’ll need to revisit these three tips often, especially if I want to keep a right perspective when things aren’t going smoothly!
Related posts:
- 3 Women in the Bible Teach Us How to Praise God
- 5 Lessons I Learned from a 10-Hour Travel Delay
- 6 Ways to Encourage Yourself in the Lord
John wanted to go to the beach yesterday, and I didn’t want to go. I had a bad attitude about it. But I prayed about it and decided to have a better attitude, and I did! I still don’t like going to the beach, but I do enjoy time with my family. 🙂
I certainly have those moments, too! Glad you got to spend that time with your family, even if it wasn’t in a place you would have chosen 🙂
I have been actively working on all three of these in the last couple years! I certainly haven’t “arrived” 😛 but I’m progressing! The thing that has made the biggest impact for me has been video chatting (on the free Marco Polo app) with my BFF in Romania on my daily walks. She is my staunchest prayer partner, and we share everything that’s going on with us & pray for each other actively every single day. We’re like Christian therapists for each other – we vent, commiserate, advise, etc., and I always come back in a better mood, having been truly seen & heard by a safe friend who helps me pray through life! (& I her :-))
That is so sweet – I love that you have that kind of relationship with her. I know it’s a blessing for both of you!