Attitude: Be Thankful or be Sorry
What is your attitude toward life? Are you thankful for the things you have? Are you upset because of what you don’t have? Are you sad, frustrated, mad, furious, joyful, happy, or depressed? So many different emotions that we look at as our attitude at times. So before I go any further I need to define what I mean by attitude. Webster shows a few different definitions but the ones that hit on what I’m discussing today are these. A position assumed for a specific purpose or, a mental position with regard to a fact or state. How are you positioning your mind in regards to the situation you find yourself in?
Now there are those who would have the opinion that they can’t control their attitude. To them their attitude is simply determined by what is going on around them. They don’t actively position their mind to prepare for the world. They simply let life happen and react accordingly. This is the mindset of a boy not a man. How can I be so judgmental of these people who are simply trying to follow the current of life? Because weak people allow others to dictate their life. Strong people, strong men, choose how they will live their life.
Do not mistake these statements as a judgement on a lifestyle choice. I’ve known more than a few hippies that had figured this out. To a lot of society they would be seen as floating. The truth is they made the choice to approach life from an attitude of peace, joy, and thankfulness. I’ve also known a lot of people working very hard at a job that were miserable. They are miserable because they let anything affect their attitude.
The bible tells us what kind of attitude we should have.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
At the end of his letter Paul gives a list of final instructions. Among them, give thanks in all circumstances. 1 Thessalonians is a happy letter to a church that is seeking God and has strong faith. When Paul tells them these things he’s not giving them new information. He’s not teaching them a fresh bit of information. It’s a simple list of things as he says goodbye to remind them what they should continue to keep doing.
In Ephesians chapter 5 Paul is teaching them how to live like Jesus. Things that they should and should not be doing. In verse 5 we see this.
20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
Maybe you are less into the New Testament and the teachings of Paul. Look to the Psalms. We constantly see praise and thank giving. Praise and thankfulness in bad times when enemies press in. Praise and thankfulness when times are good.
For us to move from being a boy to a man we must realize that the choice of attitude is ours. We must learn that we hold the power to position ourselves to be thankful. A man will be constant and dependably stable. He will position his mind to be thankful. To be focused on what is healthy and good. Not because he ignores the bad but because he chooses to see beyond what is right in front of him.
In life you will either make the choice to position your mind to be thankful or you will forever be defeated. Because life is full of bad things. Work sucks. Traffic sucks. But you chose to give those things power over you. You have a choice when you get home late. You can choose to be upset about being late. The other choice is to be thankful for the time you do have. You have a choice when work kicks your teeth in. You can choose to be mad at your boss. Or you can choose to be thankful for a paycheck at the end of the week. The situation doesn’t change. You may not be able to change the situation. But your attitude changes. That you can control.
There are real storms that come. Bills pile up and we can’t feed our children. Sickness hits and people become blind or lame. Parents are forced to bury their children. How can I type that even there we must position ourselves to be thankful? How can I look at a grieving father and ask him to love with thankfulness in his heart? I couldn’t at that moment. Because the grief and the sadness they are feeling is something that I can’t comprehend. But I’ve known people who have come through those things. The common thread to when they were healing and healthy again. Thankfulness. The ones that never healed never got back to being thankful.
Do you want to be a boy and let life kick you down over and over? Or do you want to be a man that faces life and refuses to let it control him? Learn to position your mind to be thankful.
