I'm always amazed in God's kingdom, how we continually insist on looking at the outside and not dialogue as to the inside of a person's heart to see where they are coming from.
What's more important - whether I serve communion with a tie on - or whether my heart is pure before God? (Just thought I would throw that in there to get some kind of reaction)
Jesus was concerned about matters of the heart.
What's going on inside my head.
What are my thoughts?
What are my attitudes?
Our thoughts lead to our attitudes and our attitudes lead to our actions and our actions can lead to a habit and habits can lead to bondages.
It all starts out with what we are thinking about on the inside.
My attitude.
It's like the story of a little boy was sitting sadly on the curb beside his lawn mower, when along came a minister riding a bicycle. The minister noticed that the boy appeared discouraged, so he thought he would try to help.
"Hello there!" said the minister. "How would you like to trade your lawn mower for this bicycle?"
"Sure, mister," the little boy responded, and went on his merry way.
A few days later, the boy and the minister crossed paths again. The minister said, "I think you took me on our trade. I keep crankin' that old lawn mower, but it won't start."
"You gotta cuss it," said the little boy.
"Well I can't do that," said the minister. "I'm a preacher. I forgot about cussin' a long time ago."
The little boy answered, "Just keep on crankin', preacher; it'll come back to ya."
Within all of us is a propensity to sin.
The longer I live the more I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond.
As someone wrote, "if that is true, I believe that the single most signficant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude."
It's a choice. I choose to have a good attitude. I choose to have a bad attitude.
What's the choice are we making today?
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2 comments:
Of all the attitudes that the Lord regrets to see in us the most, is the attitude of ingratitude. We often don’t even think about all the things that go on in our lives during the course of a day, week, month and even a year. We’re so busy with the life that God has allowed us to have, that we forget big and small things that he does for us or allows to come our way.
We take for granted, that we wake up each day. The simple act of opening our eyes in the morning, and being able to see. Over the past few years, I’ve learned to be more appreciative of what God gives me on a daily basis. You see, in four years I’ve had two heart attacks. Not the fall down, call 911 type, but heart attacks just the same. I’ve got six stints in my arteries to keep them open. Believe me when I say, I’m very appreciative of every new day. I don’t take life for granted. I’ve been around and seen too many people have heart attacks and not make it. Not knowing where they went to spend eternity. They went just that fast.
Our lives after accepting Christ is the training time before we go to heaven. There’s not going to be any bad attitudes in heaven. And there’s not going to be any ungratefulness either. Some Christians think that God owes them something. That He’s lucky to have them in His kingdom. Oh the vanity and pride. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we gave up our rights to everything. We’re the one’s who messed our lives up. He bailed us out. He paid the price that we couldn’t pay. Some days we don’t even give Him a second thought. Not until our lives are falling apart again. And we cry out, “Jesus Help Me!” And He does, because He loves us and knows we’re but dust.
That’s a sobering thought. For anyone who thinks that they are somebody, your just dust, that God blew on, when he made you.
If we could develop an attitude of gratitude to God, the other attitudes I think would fall into line. You and I owe Him so much. How can we have a heart that follows after anyone else but Him.
Amen Charlie. That's really good and I hope that people who read this take it to heart. Some might get mad at the comments but some honest soul searching will reveal the truth and you spoke it in love out of concern for their eternal home.
I tell folks at work (both who work for me and who work around me) that we make a choice every day. We can either choose to be miserable or we can choose to be happy...as for me, I choose to be happy. I tell my kids the same thing. Life isn't always going to go good...in fact, more times than not, there will be something in your life that you can complain about! But your attitude toward the life that God has given you will determine whether or not you complain. Life is good and Charlie has already told you that having each day is vitally important to him...but it also is for you as well. If you haven't made a decision to come to Christ, please do so. If you don't know how, let us know on this blog and we'll walk you through it...or find a church in your area and meet with the pastoral staff there. Not that you need us or a pastor to help you to reach Christ, you just need to talk to Him! But we can help to answer your questions and relieve some of your fears/anxiety about the "right" way to do it. Honestly though, there is no right way other than going to Jesus Christ! You can do that on your knees or standing up or laying down...you can do it with your eyes open or shut...you can do it in your home or in a church or at work or in your car or on the subway...you can do it in the morning or in the afternoon or at night. There is no right way to get to Jesus but Jesus is the only way to get to heaven. Please talk to Him today.
God loves you more than you will ever know. He wants only the best for you in eternity. He wants you in heaven with Him for the rest of eternity after your mortal life is over. HE WANTS YOU! HE LOVES YOU! How special YOU must be that the Creator of the universe loves and wants you that much, even knowing all about you. I know how messed up I was when I came back to God and I know how frequently I screw this up...God knows as well and is always faithful to forgive me. He will forgive you too! There's nothing that you have ever done that God will not forgive! Don't try to wait until your life is perfect to come to God...He wants you to come broken...He just wants you to come. Home! Home! Home! God is calling you to come home and be with Him. Please come!
May God bless you today.
Jon
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