11-11-13
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Psalm 42:1 " As the Deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, Oh God."
How we look at the things that happen to us is of much greater importance than what actually happens to us. We can have the best attitude even when going through trying times and it will help us greatly in dealing with our difficulties. Likewise, We can be blessed beyond words yet still mope around all of our days feeling like the world still owes us something. In either case, the choice is up to us. We get to control very little in this world, but the things we can control can make all the difference in how we live our lives. The single most important thing we can control is our attitude. Our attitudes definbe our destiny's.
The Bible is full of stories that exemplify the truth of how our attitudes can shape our ultimate destiny. If anyone ever had a reason to be bitter or angry, it was Joseph; Sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused of hitting on Potiphar's wife, imprisoned in the horrible Egyptian jails. Man, did Joseph have a reason to be mad at God. But rather than spend his time grousing about his lot, he continued to praise God and keep his focus on the loving nature of the God he knew would rescue him someday. He refused to let himself spend his hours feeling sour, but instead focused on the character of God to sustain him and give him hope. What a role model Joseph is for us when we are doubting ourselves or are bitter with the circumstance we find ourselves in. Like Joseph, we can also choose to focus on our blessings in God rather than on all the things that we feel betrayed about.
Imagine Jesus, on the night that He was going to be betrayed, still stopped and found time to give thanks and even break bread with his guys, some of which He knew were about to let him down beyond belief. Impetuous Peter and sly Judas were still given the same loving treatment as all the other Disciples even though Jesus was fully aware that in a short time, Peter would deny him and Judas would betray him. Jesus was so aware of His Father's plans and purposes that nothing could come between him and his mission on this earth. He wasn't about to let some human frailties come between Him and his last few hours on this earth. He overcame his fears by casting his eyes on the Lord and giving thanks for what He had done and was about to do to reconcile the world back to the Father through His death on the cross.
I don't think I can ever fully comprehend or approach that type of humility and faithfulness in my lifetime, but maybe I can stop and pause in my difficult times to focus on the things that I am aware of that I have been blessed with. The list is quite long, if only I would focus more on it; Freedom, health, a good job, a loving and beautiful family, a relationship that is ever growing with a loving God. Even the little things like a sunrise or sunset, the playfulness and loyalty of a dog, taking a risk and enjoying it, some good music and a nice glass of wine. I can choose to focus on these things or I can focus on all the things I which I had, but don't. That will only lead to a woe is me, this life is no good type of attitude. Who wants to be around that?
We attract people to us and likewise repel people from us based on out attitudes. We can witness for Christ most effectively when we are appreciative for what we have, or when we handle difficult seasons of our life with grace and dignity. People are always watching our behaviors and will want to know how we are able to deal with abundance or lack in the same manner and with the same consistency and joy. We will be able to then talk about how God is our compass, our rock and our redeemer and we are just focusing our eyes on Him.
Life isn't about having what you want, it is about wanting what you have. I can always choose how I respond to any situation in my life. Sometimes I get depressed and I make mistakes with how I respond to certain disappointments in my life. But through Christ, I am learning to enjoy the day's blessings for what they are, and trying to overlook the betrayals and my own shortcomings. I can look at anything that happens in my life and say I am too blessed to complain. I can carry the joy of my Lord and Savior deep in my heart for all to see, letting his light and love shine through me like an hour glass. Or I can spend my time bemoaning the sour hours of my perception of what the world owes me. In those instances, the list of things to complain about can also seem endless. The great thing about living this life is I alone get to choose how I view my life and the world, and so do you. Too BLESSED to complain or sour hours? The choice is mine. And yours.
