Attitude Adjustment Day

Today I awakened and just stayed in bed for awhile praying. I was meditating a little on Colossians 4:2, Devote your selves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.

A few days ago I looked at this verse and I focused on the word ‘devote’, and what that means. Today I am trying to focus on the part of the verse that tells us to keep an ‘attitude of thanksgiving’.

You see, I am definitely not consistent in that area of my life. I have been slipping in and out of a ‘bad’ attitude. I will occasionally fall into a ‘funk’ of dwelling on things of a negative nature. I’m speaking specifically of getting angry about something or feeling sorry for myself.

The Question: How can God use me when I’m in that state of being…?

The Answer: He Can’t.

So with God’s help I’ll put away the pity party this morning and let go of the anger within me. Instead of dwelling on negative things I’m going to shift my mind to the following line of thinking:

I have a nice warm comfortable bed to lie down in and a roof over my head. Many in the world do not.

No one is going to try to shoot me or kill me today. In many parts of the world it is not safe to go outside.

I have food in my pantry. Many in the world will go hungry today.

I can worship freely and post this commentary for my entire community to read. In many parts of the world I would be imprisoned or killed for what I write about.

This list could go on and on… And it’s a list of common blessings and freedoms that I enjoy on a daily basis but sadly often take for granted.

The Book of Job tells a story of a man who faced circumstances far more adverse than my own and throughout it all he praised God. Let that be my example.

So if I dwell on anything today, it will be that which is good and positive. And In everything I will give thanks to God.