“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”
Victor Frankl
This quote does several things to me – it motivates me because I know God is in control and wants to work in our lives…“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.
It reminds me of the sacrifices that have been made and lives laid down for me, first and most importantly by Jesus on the cross, and also by countless soldiers who fought wars for the freedom of our country.
It also convicts me (BIG TIME) because I know my attitude is not always what it should be. I know God has given us the ability and will give us the power to choose our attitude in any situation, but sometimes instead of choosing a right attitude I allow a rotten attitude to be chosen for me. I know I choose it, but that’s not how it feels – when something doesn’t go the way I think it should, or when people don’t demonstrate the heart of Jesus, it feels as though someone has a say in my attitude. And it makes it easier to have a bad attitude if I have someone to blame for it other than myself. Yet the truth is – God has given me the ability to choose, and Philippians 2 tells us that our attitude should be the same as Jesus’ attitude when he humbled himself and gave his life for us on the cross.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
How important is attitude?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Hey that is SWEET! SWEET I say!(with a positive attitude)
Thanks for that, J
You know when times are rough and things get hard, it's a TRUE LEADER that can walk around with that positive attitude that is so, so encouraging!
Ah! Good to see you back in the world of blogging, Jamie!
Jennifer
It should never shock us that those who give and give freely are those who long after they are gone from this world are remembered for the way used their life and have the biggest impact on us. It reminds me of how selfish I am at times and how I waste the opportunities or blessings that the LORD gives to me.
Matthew 23:12
But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
You hit the nail on the head when you talk about attitude and being humble. When you humble yourself it makes it kind of hard to have a bad attitude.
Thanks for the reminder.
Post a Comment