Good Tuesday morning! May the joy of the Lord greet you on this fine morning! I have decided to have a fine morning even though the dew point is very near the temperature and the humidity is up making for a day that feels kind of thick and sticky. Each morning we get to make decisions about which attitude to seize the day with. On a Monday it is pretty easy to decide to seize the day with abject crankiness. Many of us have done that on a Monday, especially before the coffee hits our brains. On a Friday, it is much easier to seize the day with an attitude of eager anticipation as the weekend will start that very evening. If you work in a job where there is no regular weekend, you'll just have to use another day. The point is that in the power of Christ we have a choice. Monday does not have to be a bad day. Friday doesn't have to be a good day. Not sure why anyone would want to change Friday to a bad day, but we do have that choice.
You have probably worked with someone who has decided that every day at work is going to be met with crankiness. You may have stopped to wonder why he or she has decided to endure such a terrible thing. The cranky person may be wondering the same thing about you. The circumstances of a particular workplace might be one of oppression and extreme stress. A bright and cheerful demeanor might be strangely out of place in your workplace. What an opportunity to tell others where that joy comes from though!
Circumstances can weigh on our attitude. Not every attitude that isn't bright and cheerful is bad. When coming to the grave of Lazarus, Jesus wept. He may have been weeping for Lazarus trapped in a tomb, or for the unbelief he saw, or for the condition of the world as a whole, or even all three at once. But the Bible tells us that Jesus had an attitude of sorrow at that moment. I believe that Jesus would not expect us to walk into the funeral of a dear friend with a grin and a "praise the Lord!" on our lips. If we know that our dear friend has gone to be with Jesus then we can shout our praises after the grieving over the separation is done. Other circumstances can lead to a mere irritation.
The puppy across the alley has learned the joys of barking. The puppy's tone is quite sharp on the ears. I can decide to not let it bother me, but I may have to close a couple of windows or wear some earplugs to help with that decision. Deciding to have a better attitude about the circumstances does not always change the circumstance. If the circumstance hurts, we will need to find some help with that. I cannot overcome the pain of this world on my own. Some circumstances are overwhelming and deciding to improve my attitude is not possible in that time. Those circumstances are where God really shines in his glory. Of course I cannot handle all that the fallen world can throw at me! Sometimes God lets a circumstance roll on over me so that I will remember my Savior and God in prayer and supplication. It is with that prayer in that trying time that I have found my attitude comforted in sudden and wonderful ways far beyond my own ability to manufacture. Praise God for his comfort!
Praise God that He is only a prayer away!
Bucky
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