BBD 11.26.07 Got an Attitude?
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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11.26.07
Got an Attitude?
Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand
fast in the Lord, beloved. I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of
the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these
women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of
my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. Rejoice in the Lord
always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men.
The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true,
whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are
pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if
there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these
things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me,
these do, and the God of peace will be with you. - Philippians 4:1-9.
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long
at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for
us. - Helen Keller.
The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our
circumstances. - Martha Washington.
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. -Winston Churchill.
I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower
would grow. - Abraham Lincoln.
I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else. -
Winston Churchill.
Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things
turn out. - Art Linkletter.
When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade. - Dale Carnegie.
Sometimes we are forced to do what we do not want to do. Sometimes life
gives us no other way than the hard way. In one of my early jobs in my third
year of marriage, I was a salesman but I was not a very good salesman. For
one thing, I was shy and found talking to people, I had never met before to
be difficult. My boss sent me to a Dale Carnegie class, which was even more
difficult. Going through the even more difficult embarrassing things that
were sometimes necessary in that class made it easier for me to talk to
people. John Ortberg in one of his books tells about when he first started
preaching he had a problem with fainting. He would be five or ten minutes
into a sermon and then pass out! Attendance increased but I'm not sure the
deacons were very impressed. He eventually overcame that problem as he
persisted in doing what God had called him to do. John Ortberg had an
attitude. His attitude was that he was going to continue on doing what God
had called him to do no matter what.
The apostle Paul had an attitude too. His attitude was one of rejoicing no
matter what. When the letter to Philippi was written Paul was under house
arrest in Rome knowing that he could be executed for his faith. In addition,
there were those who were trying to add to Paul's troubles. But Paul was
able to rejoice in spite of his circumstances. How? With each difficulty
Paul was able to see good coming out of them (Philippians 1:13-18).
Paul could also have joy in spite of people. There were people in the church
at Philippi that were causing trouble. There was a false teacher
(Philippians 3:1-3) and a division in the church (Philippians 4:1-3). Paul
could have joy because he followed the example of Jesus (2:5). Paul said to
have an humble spirit (2:3), think about the other person's situation (Walk
a mile in their shoes - 2:4), do not murmur and complain (2:14).
Paul had joy too in spite of the lack of the things of this world. Before
Paul was a Christian, he had "arrived" in the Jewish world. He was the
"Hebrew of Hebrews" (Philippians 3:4-8). Those things were actually robbing
Paul of true joy. Jesus says in Luke 12:15, "... for one's life does not
consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."
Worry was another problem that could have kept Paul from having joy. In
Philippians 4:6-9, Paul tells us how to cope with worry. We cope with worry
by praying right (4:6-7). We cope with worry by thinking right (4:8). We not
only need to pray right and think right but we also need to live right to be
free of worry (4:9).
Got an attitude? I hope it is an attitude like Paul's!
Copyright © 2007. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
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