Taking
responsibility for your attitude
'BE
JOYFUL ALWAYS'. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16
Some of us complain
about everything. The weather's too hot; the job's
too hard; the pay's too low; the holiday's too short. And what we think
about our mother-in-law is not fit to print.
In an old Peanuts comic
strip, Lucy announces, 'Boy, do I feel crabby'.
Her little brother Linus, always anxious to relieve tension, responds,
'Maybe I can help. Why don't you just take my place in front of the TV
and I will go fix you a nice snack? Sometimes we all need a little
pampering to make us feel better.'
Then Linus brings her a
sandwich, a few chocolate chip biscuits, and
some milk. 'Now, is there anything else I can get you? Is there
anything I have not thought of?' he asks.
'Yes, there's one thing
you have not thought of,' Lucy answers. Then
she shouts, 'I do not want to feel better!'
Face it, some people do
not want to feel better - they just want
attention! Know anybody like that? It takes uncommon honesty to ask,
'How much of what I say focuses on complaining about the
situation rather than improving it? Have I built my life around people
who feel the same way, and would probably be upset if I decided to grow
and change for the better?' Am I living in the past, nursing old
wounds, refusing to forgive others and myself?'
Time does not heal -
insight does! Jesus said that knowing the truth
sets us free. Once you are willing to face the truth about your
attitude and do something about it, your life will begin to improve
rapidly.
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