Do We Need an Attitude Adjustment?
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 CSB)
Recently, I was reading Keep Showing Up by Karen Ehman, and a particular quote stuck with me. The book’s topic is marriage, but I think this quote is applicable to life in general. Ehman states, “The only thing you can control is yourself—your attitudes, your actions, and reactions.”
Sometimes when we’re having a particularly bad day or enduring a circumstance we don’t like, we might just need an attitude adjustment. We can control our reactions to situations. We don’t have to get swept away on the unpredictable wave of our circumstances. However, it will take a little bit of effort on our part to accomplish that. When you have just had one of those days, it’s not easy to react well to the next bad thing that happens. But we save ourselves so much stress and unhappiness if we can frame our reactions with the right attitude and perspective.
My brother-in-law recently went on a mission trip to Uganda, and he’s told us many stories about visiting with the Ugandan people. A common theme in all his experiences was the people’s positive reaction to learning about Jesus. He said they were eager to hear about someone who offered them hope. They had an attitude of looking for hope even in some sad and difficult situations. They excitedly accepted the hope Jesus offers.
Regardless of where we’re from or the circumstances we face—the good and the bad—we need to have an attitude that reflects our hope in Jesus.
In his book Six Hours One Friday, Max Lucado gives another example of the type of attitude and perspective we should have in our trying circumstances. He tells about when he was a missionary in Brazil and having a particularly bad week, including a car breaking down and conflicting family holiday schedules along with the ordinary stresses of everyday life. He was complaining mightily to himself about all these annoyances while waiting for a tow truck. While he was having his private pity party, he was approached by an orphan boy who was covered in grime and begging for money. Suddenly his situation didn’t seem quite so problematic.
I’m not saying we should never feel frustrated or exasperated with our problems, but maybe we should try to frame them with a different attitude. Maybe we should frame our overall view of life with a better attitude. To prepare to teach a beginning photography class in the fall, I’ve been reading books on photography. The framing of a photograph consists of assessing what appears in the viewfinder of your camera and designing the arrangement of the subject of your photograph. As Christians, our perspective should always be framed through the lens of Jesus. We won’t always do this perfectly. However, the good news is that Jesus doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He knows the limitations of humanness. When we lose our view, we just need to make sure we try again and refocus on our subject.
We do ourselves a huge favor when we let go of our problems, when we don’t allow ourselves to remain so tightly wound up. Constantly being stressed and unhappy is not the type of life the Lord has planned for us. We need to learn to choose joy and choose to view our circumstances through a heavenly perspective.
Dear Lord, help us to view our circumstances through a heavenly perspective rather than a temporal one. Help us to release our burdens to you and not take them back. Guide us to follow the path you have planned for us. Amen.
Scripture for Reflection
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18 NIV)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 CSB)
We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18 CSB)
You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy: at your right hand are eternal pleasures. (Psalm 16:11 CSB)
Reach for More
When you feel yourself getting stressed out and fed up, take a step back and reframe your view of the situation. Take a moment or two to pray and reset. If needed, take a few days to pray over the situation. Journal your feelings and pray for a new perspective. Keep yourself in God’s Word daily so you will be prepared to face whatever happens that day.
is a writer, blogger, and middle school teacher. She and her husband live in Georgia with their three children. In addition to teaching and writing, Dana loves to read, paddle board, and sometimes run. She blogs about faith, family, and enjoying the everyday life at danaherndon.com.
Photograph © Nicklas Bajema, used with permission
