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Articles from February 2015

What’s Your ‘Tude?: Servitude

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“It’s a good day for my bad attitude!” If that slogan’s speaking your language right about now, perhaps you should consider joining me this week to discover what the Bible says about attitudes. Could be a ‘tude adjustment is in order!

 

Servitude

“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right…. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.” 

Romans 6:20-22, NLT

Thursday_Day_Four_Pic_#2-broken_chainYears ago, when I’d ask a certain acquaintance to help me with various tasks, she would more often than not reply with the quip, “What do I look like, your slave? Do it yourself, I’ve got more important things to do!” These days, I hear people say, “I’m nobody’s slave!” Or, “I won’t be anyone’s slave!”

But the truth is, it’s impossible to be middle-of-the-road regarding servitude. Everybody serves a master, so everyone’s somebody’s slave! The question is whose? Read today’s Dose verses. Before we surrendered our lives to Christ Jesus, we were easily consumed by an attitude of idolatry and self-centeredness. We were free to do what we wanted, when we wanted, and how we wanted, because we were guided by the fulfillment of our own desires.

This type of freedom was a freedom from doing right because all we were capable of doing was wrong. Our behaviors were wrong because our motives were wrong. Our motives were wrong because our hearts were wrong. Our hearts were wrong because our master wasn’t God; it was sin. Serving the master of sin may have appeared effortless and fun for some time, but focusing on our own desires gets old after a while. We have no power from the Holy Spirit to change our hearts so we’re caught in the grip of serving self and neglecting to find a bit of concern for others. We easily modeled the old adage, “I’m not much, but I’m all I think about!” The result of this type of attitude was agony and destruction. We weren’t equipped to serve anyone with the love of God. Thursday_Day_Four_Pic#1-Jesus_On_the_Cross

But once we surrendered our lives to Christ, we experienced an attitude change. Mastered by God and following the desires He placed in our hearts, we turned from our idolatry and self-centeredness to serve Him ahead of ourselves. In turn, we are able to let His love show through us in service to others. This is an attitude of servitude.

Christ modeled the best example of serving others to the point of laying down His life for our sins. He served God, the Father, in perfectly obedience.  When we’re willing to serve Jesus Christ, we have the Holy Spirit’s power to serve others around us, with a godly heart. This is how our lives are rebuilt and attitudes changed. Love does not demand it’s own way (1 Cor. 13:5).

Serving the Master is the sole way to a life of holiness and eternity with God. Whose slave are you?

Servitude over self-centeredness,

Rita

What’s Your ‘Tude?: Platitudes

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“It’s a good day for my bad attitude!” If that slogan’s speaking your language right about now, perhaps you should consider joining me this week to discover what the Bible says about attitudes. Could be a ‘tude adjustment is in order!

 

Platitudes

“Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes. Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot.

Job 13:12, NLT

Wednesday_Day_Three_Pic_#1-Famous_sayingsEver had friends fake-help you through a difficult time by giving you their rundown of the situation? They lob lofty-sounding quotes, impromptu analyses, and reasons for your dilemma. You feel worst than you did before their “help”! Today’s Dose verse reflects what Job said to his friends when he encountered their “help” concerning his suffering. He didn’t value their words.

The ERV reads, “The wise sayings you quote are worthless. Your arguments are as weak as clay.”  I don’t believe that all platitudes are worthless. At times, one spoken at the right time and in the correct way brought me exactly the comfort I needed and appreciated. It’s empty platitudes that bring no comfort or cause for appreciation.

An attitude of platitudes makes empty platitudes one’s go-to solution. It’s displayed when we routinely and carelessly offer empty platitudes to those who hurt, giving little thought as to whether our words are really helping them or not. This attitude makes us feel better that we said something “wise” while simultaneously preventing us from seeing that we really said nothing substantive at all.

Some of these empty platitudes are things that sound like they should come from the Bible, but don’t such as “God helps those who help themselves.” Others are our misinterpretations of Scripture: “God will never give you more than you can handle.” Perhaps the most damaging display of this attitude is when we (like Job’s friends) act as if we have all the answers to another’s problems. Job got upset with his friends because they were talking out of turn and authority and not helping. They came off as speaking for God.

Wednesday_Day_Three_Pic_#2-Compassion_signDon’t we do that sometimes? I know I’ve been guilty of this practice. We feel compelled to say something, anything, to make an uncomfortable situation easier. We rarely have the full story, God has not appointed us His spokesperson, but we proceed as if we do and He has! Does that reflect the attitude of Christ that we want to display? Christ’s love is displayed through an attitude of compassion. Why not tell our hurting friend that we’re available for them (to, stay, listen, pray, and empathize) or ask how we can help?

When Christ did this, people knew that He cared for them. That’s one reason I know He cares for me!  Love endures (I Cor. 13:7).

An attitude of hasty empty platitudes won’t give people hope; an attitude of steadfast compassion will.

Compassion over platitudes,

Rita

What’s Your ‘Tude?: Crude ‘Tude

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“It’s a good day for my bad attitude!” If that slogan’s speaking your language right about now, perhaps you should consider joining me this week to discover what the Bible says about attitudes. Could be a ‘tude adjustment is in order!

 

Crude ‘Tude

“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”

Ephesians 5:4, ESV

Tuesday_Day_Two_Pic_#1-Lady_on_PhoneSometimes our behaviors take rude attitudes to the extreme and we move into the realm of crudeness. The dictionary defines crude as “rude in a way that makes people uncomfortable, especially talking about sexual matters in a rude way.” If you’ve ever laughed at, told jokes about, or shared video-clips, stories, pictures, or other media of out of control people (like improperly clothed, naked, or impaired folks), then you’ve been part of the crude attitude bunch.

We can easily slip into behaviors that reflect foolish and crude attitudes when we ignore the Holy Spirit and our concern for others. How many time have we found ourselves looking and laughing at things that we ought not, like video clips someone has sent or posted of vulnerable people at their worst? They brought it on themselves through their poor choices, we say. Truth is, our poor choices to mock them blocks us from showing God’s love and can cause them to curse us.

Recall the Bible story of Noah and his sons? After the great flood, Noah drank some homemade wine from his vineyard, got drunk, and lay down naked in his tent. (See Genesis 9:20-21.) His youngest son, Ham, stopped and saw him and instead of covering his father up, he looked at him for a while and went and told his brothers about it. Now, the Bible doesn’t give much detail to the matter, but I imagine that Ham might have found it amusing to see his father lying there vulnerable and decided to have a laugh about it with his brothers.

“Bros, you are not going to believe this; Pops is sprawled out, drunk as a skunk, butt naked on his tent floor. I just saw him, check it out!” Had he felt compassion for his father’s embarrassing plight, he’d have covered him up and perhaps kept it a private matter. His older brothers didn’t participate in his crude foolishness. They covered their father without even looking upon his nakedness (vs.23).  They displayed attitudes of compassion, love, and thankfulness toward their Tuesday_Day_Two_Pic_#2-Thankful_Signfather, unlike Ham. Noah blessed them and cursed Ham’s son (vs. 24-27). Love doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth (1 Cor. 13:6, ESV).

Read today’s Dose verse. An attitude like Christ’s is not foolish and crude but thankful. As difficult as changing crude attitudes may be, every believer has the power of the Holy Spirit to do so if they choose. What’s your choice?

Thankfulness over crudeness,

Rita

[Read this story of Noah in Genesis 9:20-27.]