attitude

"Grumble, grumble…if I ever… I'll never… did you hear what he/she said or did? I'll never forgive… I'll never speak… They will never get invited to my….." You've probably met folks with a bad case of the "Grumbles". It seems that no matter what happens they are never happy and sometimes they seem to take delight in making others unhappy. There has to be an answer for this… doesn't there?

Is it possible to change your attitude, I mean really change it? I've had some folks with fairly nasty dispositions tell me, "That's just the way I am and I can't change it." Is that true? A reader of my writings, "Reg," shared Job9:27 with me, where Job says: "I changed my expression and smiled" (NIV) How can this be true?  I believe it's because no matter what happens God is still in control, and if I can remember that, I CAN change my expression and smile!

Granted I never said it would be an easy thing to do, but I believe it is possible. You remember the old saying, "Garbage in, garbage out". In other words, what you put into your life, your heart, will most likely be the same sort of thing that comes out of your life and heart. It affects relationships to friends; it affects families; it affects our relationship to God.

David voices a conscious decision in Psalms 118:24 "This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." The question for each of us, to consider is, "What are you putting into your life and heart?

I don't know about you, but I really want to have a good attitude. I really want to have good relationships with my friends, family and my God. Because of that, I try really hard to put only the best stuff into my life. I control what television programs I watch, I control what movies I go to, I control what books I read, I control the type of music to which I listen, I control who I associate with. You see, each of us is in control of our lives; it's just that sometimes we hand control of it over to others. Those who program our television, movies, music, etc. really don't care about you, your attitude or your soul. They won't watch out for you, you have to take charge of your own life and decide whether or not you will rejoice in the day or not. Whether you will change you’re attitude and smile or not.

You see, I know what kind of person I want to be and what kind of life I want to live. I'm not always successful, but I'm more successful than if I had never tried. How about it, are you willing to begin to fight the "good" fight that changes your life and relationships? Why not join me in the fight?

-russ lawson