The Right Attitude

The Right Attitude

I THEREFORE, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God's service, Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another. Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3 AMP

Having the right attitude starts with understanding that life is not a competition with anyone. God has called each of us to run a race; he didn't call two of us together into one race, he called each one into his or her own race. Our paths may meet and we go along together for a while, but unless we are married, we are bound to part sometime in the future. Even a husband and wife have different races, different purposes but are united together by God to raise Godly offspring, enjoy companionship and find fulfilment in God.

Even while running the race, there is a right approach and a wrong approach. You could get your race and purpose right, but if you do not get the attitude right, you may end up all frustrated and eternally lost. When I begin to think my race is more important than the other person, when I think I am better than the other man, when I lose commitment due to external pressures, and give in to fear or unhealthy rivalry, when I compare my experiences with the other man and wish I was running his own race, then there is a problem.

The central theme here is: live a life worthy of the call you have received. If you have not received the call from God, go back to God. If you have heeded another person's call, retrace your steps back to God and find out his call. When you have now heeded God's call, spend your life living in line with the dictates of that call. God's rewards are not tied to activity, but to purpose. Find purpose, you will find a reason for living. His time of favour is here.

Doing Right Pays

Doing Right Pays!

Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner. Proverbs 13:6 NIV

In this season and generation we have found ourselves, it appears as if it is more profitable to join the bandwagon to do evil. We are part of system that have systemically eroded values and rendered honesty impotent. We have looked at truth and called it unimportant. We have looked at honesty and called it impotent. We now measure success by standards different from what God has already established. We noe measure worth in monetary terms and not by the inner contents of a man's heart.

However we see it, one very clear thing is this: the fact that something is popular or generally acceptable does not make it right. The fact that the whole world has accepted it does not make it the truth backed up by God's word. There is a need to examine our hearts again and make sure we are on the right path. This is important because it is not the world's standards that will apply to us when judgment comes, but God's word. It is not popular opinion that will count when the decision of our eternity is being settled. God's standards as established by his word remain the one and only way to go. Every other thing will fall away with time.

When you do right, you may not always be right with people. When you dare to stand for truth, you will not be popular. However, God is interested in our living by his truth, and even if he appears slow, he always defends those who stand up for him. When you dare to do right, God dares to fight for you. The results may not be physically evident but the benefits are eternal and worth it. When evil repercussions from wickedness comes, you are protected because you have stood on the side of truth. Daniel's testimony was that nothing was found on him, except on the matter of his worship of God. The three Hebrew boys signed off their lives to God, saying they were willing and ready to die on the side of truth rather than compromise. God may not always come through the way we desire, but the fact that we are reading about Abel, Joseph, Stephen, Paul and others show that God will work out that which is best in the lives of those who are fully committed to him.

It does not matter how long you have prospered in iniquity and wickedness; the day of reckoning will come. It does not matter how hard things have been because you have dared to stand for truth; the day of reward will come. The choice is yours: judgment or reward. Your end is determined by the choices you make today. His time of favour is here.