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| This picture was taken by @mexia555 on Instagram |
The kids and I were reading devotions the other morning and a quote by John Maxwell remained with me the rest of the day. "Often, attitude is the only difference between success and failure."
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As I mulled it over, many of the examples that came to mind about attitudes, revolved around our relationships and our love walk. Just as we sometimes believe that love is a feeling instead of an action, we can mistakenly confuse our attitude with our intentions.
We might intend to be kind every day but if we have a bad morning 57 days in a row and we are not kind on one of them; then we lived by the feeling instead of the action or the intention.
We can even tell ourselves that we'll look for the good qualities in people but still only choose to talk about the things that they do wrong or that we disagree with. We can become proud of one or two areas that we may give to others and yet show nothing but impatience and frustration when it's unexpected or not an opportune time for us to give again.
You know, like when we're behind an elderly person, shuffling feet, at the same time we're in a hurry, or when a child repeats the same first five words in a sentence- twenty times before getting the full sentence out. -Or what about in the scenarios that we might face as we approach this holiday season?
Attitude is what allows us or prevents us from saying "You're worth my time. I'm going to stop what I am doing [including feeling or thinking] to wait on, or turn this thing around with you." Attitude is what allows you to say you're sorry and overlooks blunders in others. It's also what allows you to learn from others even when you believe you're right and that they might be wrong.
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Doesn't that sound just like the example of love that we see in 1 Corinthians 13? Better yet, Philippians 2 is another great passage to consider. -Titled 'Joy in serving" here are some of the highlights:
I can't tell you how much I love that-- Both, looking at stars among the night sky and having the capacity to shine or even stand out like one of them.
The more that I think about shining; the more I see that really- if you want to know what your love walk looks like, you can check your attitude.
The very definition of the word says that attitude is "a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is a reflected in a person's behavior."
Pride and other factors may lie behind motives but our attitude is a much easier gauge to read when considering our actions. It really is the display shelf for what we allow ourselves to manifest in the world.
We might have grandiose ideas about what our love walk looks like by our feelings and intentions but only you and I, with our Maker, can see our attitude behind each gesture; and every opportunity that we miss along the way to shine for His glory.
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Isn't that such a beautiful picture?! I hope that it inspires you as much as it inspires me. May we all find the capacity to 'give' a little more this holiday day season. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
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Doesn't that sound just like the example of love that we see in 1 Corinthians 13? Better yet, Philippians 2 is another great passage to consider. -Titled 'Joy in serving" here are some of the highlights:
v3 - Do nothing in selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.
v5 - In your relationships with one another have the same mindset [attitude] as Christ.
v8 - And in being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death. (obedient even when it kills us)
v14 - Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "Children of God" without fault in a warped and crooked generation.
v15 - THEN YOU WILL SHINE AMONG THEM LIKE STARS IN THE SKY
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| This shot is the southern constellation of Tucana (The Toucan), taken by Nasa |
I can't tell you how much I love that-- Both, looking at stars among the night sky and having the capacity to shine or even stand out like one of them.
The more that I think about shining; the more I see that really- if you want to know what your love walk looks like, you can check your attitude.
The very definition of the word says that attitude is "a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is a reflected in a person's behavior."
Pride and other factors may lie behind motives but our attitude is a much easier gauge to read when considering our actions. It really is the display shelf for what we allow ourselves to manifest in the world.
We might have grandiose ideas about what our love walk looks like by our feelings and intentions but only you and I, with our Maker, can see our attitude behind each gesture; and every opportunity that we miss along the way to shine for His glory.
-
-
-
Isn't that such a beautiful picture?! I hope that it inspires you as much as it inspires me. May we all find the capacity to 'give' a little more this holiday day season. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Milky Way by Mexia555
Stars by Nasa
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