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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.]

What’s Your ‘Tude?: Rude ‘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!

 

Rude ‘Tude

“Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. …He humbled himself in obedience to God.”

Philippians 2:3-5,8 NLT

Monday_Day_One_Pic_#1-Rude_WomanSometimes our behavior as children of the King is so unattractive that we block God’s love from shining through us.

One day, I inadvertently cut in line at a fast food restaurant drive-thru. There were two drive-up lanes and one was practically empty, so I drove straight up to the short one. The next thing I knew, some irate guy had screeched his big pick-up truck to a stop, jumped out, and was running up to my car yelling his head off!

My first instinct was to put up the window, now! Next, decide whether or not to even look at this dude. Ok, I looked. When I cracked the window a tiny bit to acknowledge him, he shouted, “Don’t be rude, Stupid; the line starts back there”! I looked back to where he was pointing and suddenly realized I had cut in line. Oops! It never entered my mind that the way these customers were lining up was everybody in one long line until they got close enough to choose a left or right split-off. I was used to a single lane drive-thru. I was also very embarrassed and unable to go around because other cars had pulled up behind mine and there was nothing left to do but proceed to the window.

Mr. Angry Pants was still seething at my driver’s window so I shouted, “I’m sorry I cut in line, I didn’t realize that’s what I Monday_Day_One_Pic_#2-Humble_Signwas doing when I pulled over here, but calling me stupid is rude too!” He stormed back to his truck, in a huff, and moved through the other line. As he pulled off a little while later, I noticed that he had a Jesus fish on the back of his truck! I had embarrassingly cut in line. He had gotten angry. Suffice it to say, neither one of us was feeling the love or showing it! Through our self-centeredness we had both blocked the light of God’s love with our rude ‘tudes.

Read today’s Dose verse. As a part of the body of Christ, we don’t have to behave rudely towards others. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to make godly choices in our behaviors, behaviors that reflect a humble and loving attitude, suitable for building godly relationships with others. Love is not rude (1 Cor. 13:5).

When we surrender our will to that of the Holy Spirit, we can love others according to God’s command. Is your ‘tude rude?

Losing’ the rude,

Rita

Wise Choices: Unshakable

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“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” 

Luke 6:46, ESV  

In the 70’s and 80’s there were two popular comedic expressions: “The devil made me do it,” and “Could it be Satan?” It’s our nature to want to shift blame, but it’s no laughing matter. When God questioned Adam and Eve regarding their sin, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. Satan’s influence in our lives is immense, but we alone are responsible for the choices we make.

 

Unshakable

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

Matthew 7:24-26, NIV

Day_5,_Rock_with_scriptureRecently, headline news broadcast devastating accounts of a Florida sinkhole that swallowed the bedroom of a man who lay sleeping in his bed. Later, a couple of miles away, another sinkhole opened up. This time it caused no injury or damage, but certainly it struck fear in the hearts of town residents who began to question the solidity of the ground beneath their feet.

As a North Carolina resident, I never question the stability of the ground upon which I walk. I take each step for granted, while those in California, who find earth tremors commonplace, are perhaps lulled into a false sense of security.

Life–shaking events sweep in unannounced. As the rains pound and the winds of adversity blow, our foundations are put to the test. I may not experience the movement of the earth beneath my feet, but I do know what it is like for the bottom to drop out of my world. I suspect you do too.

I have known loneliness after the death of a loved one, sorrow in the loss of a child through miscarriage, the emotional ups and downs that come with the birth of a special-needs child, heartache over one in rebellion, helplessness in the failure of a business, fear in the face of illness . . . and the storms rage on. However, in the midst of these life-altering events, I have experienced the indescribable peace and hope of God.

God’s Word reminds us that unless the Lord builds the house, its builder labors in vain. As painful and unforeseen events close in, choose to set the foundation of your life upon the solid Rock of Christ and God’s Word. Know it and obey it. Allow its healing balm to seep deep into the crevices of your heart and mind. Experience His stillness.

Setting the plumb line of our soul in alignment with the wisdom of God is the key to ensuring our foundation holds strong and secure in the face of crises. There is only one unshakeable foundation upon which to stand―Jesus Christ.

Rockin’ it till next time,

Starr