05/23/13

How do you look at life?

Do you see the cup half empty or half full?

We all have days when we see everything empty... that is understandable. The Lord understands our weak times.

What I am meaning is how do you respond to circumstances in life on a daily basis? 

Are you positive or negative?

• Have you ever known someone who was pretty much always joyful and even when life threw them a lemon they chose to make the sweetest lemonade ever known?  They chose to consistently see how God is working and using the situation to grow them to be more like Him.

• On the reverse of that, have you ever known anyone who was nothing but a complainer and no matter what happened there were always negative comments? Does it get to the point you can "taste" the sourness of their lemonade as they approached you from a distance?  They can't see what God is doing because of the grumbling of their heart.

I have been reading this book:

It has been very good and I have gained much by reading it.  What I have just read tonight refers to this and it is written so well, I decided to share it instead of trying to rephrase it myself. 

It is worth the time to read ... and a challenge to us all to delight in each day the Lord gives to us with an attitude of praise and worship instead of grumbling and complaining about everything.

"Every day we set the table for the emotions that feed our attitude.  We either dine on positive or negative emotions.  Either we determine that we'll face life with a bad attitude or a good one.  Do you feast off a positive attitude?  Or dumpster dive into negative emotions?

Each of us sets the stage for how we respond to each situation by our attitudes.  Do you begin a task with grumbling about everything you don't like?  Does the day begin by murmuring or complaining?  How much joy do you think this is going to create in your life?  A negative attitude does not change any circumstance; it merely makes it harder to bear.

Life is filled with things we don't like and situations we'd rather not have to deal with.  When approaching a difficulty with a good attitude, the results are much more likely to have a good outcome.  If we approach life with a negative attitude, negative results will follow.  Even if there is a successful outcome, there will still be little joy or satisfaction.  A poor mind-set blinds us to the good we can glean from every situation.  .....

A grumbler never finds good.  A complainer never sees the opportunities God hides in the crevices of difficulties.  Consider the instructions of Philippians 2:14-15

Do all things with complaining and disputing,

that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. .....

Do we really expect God to bless our lives if we are murmuring our way through every task, or resisting and complaining about what we don't like?  The ones who are faithful in the little things are the ones trustworthy in the big things.  If we walk by faith and shine His light in our attitudes, we will experience relief from the burden of our emotions, and we'll be blessed by the Lord.  ....

Psalm 37:23

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way."

~ Eddie Snipes ~ pages 178-180