Attitude!

Attitude!

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  Let all your things be done with charity. 1 Corinthians 16:13‭-‬14 KJV

Paul speaks here of the need to be on your guard as you run the race God has marked out. We all have individual races to run. There is a unique end for all men, and there is only One person who can help us get to that end, but the course of each man's journey is different. In running this race, a few things become important to emphasise:

1. WATCH: God calls me to watch. There are times and seasons set up by God, and He uses them to teach us life lessons. If I do not pay attention to what God is saying through these seasons, or if I do not have an idea of what God expects me to do next, it is not likely that I will understand what God is doing now and where I fit into his plans. My greatest impact is tied to my understanding of the times I am in.

2. STAND FAST: I am called to stand firm in the faith. This instruction would not make sense if there was no danger of falling into error. God warns ahead of time that there will be demands on the foundations of my faith and the basis of my confidence in God. It is the season of strange and convenient doctrines; it is the season of itching ears and lying lips; it is the season of compromise and falsehood. If you do not stand for the Truth, you will fall for anything.

3. BE STRONG: It is quite important to be strong in these strange seasons we are in. It is the season where only those who know who God is, who belong to Him and serve Him acceptably, will be the ones who will do exploits. The weak will always seek the path of least resistance; the strong depend on the One who commissions their assignment for help. 

4. CHARITY: This is the crowning glory of all God calls me into. This is the attitude and medium through which my life's pursuits and priorities must be expressed. No matter how nice I am viewed or how the world applauds what I do or celebrates my achievements, it amounts to nothing if not done in love. 

The summary of the above is this: it is not what the world considers important that matters, but what God says it is. It is when I do what He commands and how He commands that I get all He has promised. Nothing else will work. His time of favour is here.