Attitude Matters
When good things happen, do we think God has changed his mind about us?
You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.- Isaiah 12:1-3
In today's reading, Isaiah talks about God turning around, from anger to comfort, but I wonder if Isaiah had that right.
It may seem like God has changed when we start to see the benefits of His grace, but it could be that He is always the same, and we are the ones who change.
A good number of the people I talk to each day have experienced more than their share of set backs. For most, things have not gone well and yet few, if any, are angry with God.
It is the good that they focus on, rather than the bad.
The few who have trouble doing that, have real problems. They get angry and depressed. Some fall into abusive relationships, become paranoid, or succumb to drugs or alcohol.
Attitude matters.
How I approach my situation seems to make a big difference in how effective I am at helping to turn it around.
If I believe God is always with me, looking to help me, bringing others who can help to me, then hope and faith will lead me to a change. But if I believe He has abandoned me, that change is out of my control, then I will fail to find the way to hope.
I can learn a valuable lesson from those I encounter each day. The situation they are in is not what makes them miserable. It is their attitude that determines their outlook on life.
No matter what comes my way, I will seek to have a positive attitude and I will continue to believe that God is there to help me find my way home.
What else is there?
More to come...