We used to repeatedly tell our kids that "attitude is everything!" Attitude defines who we are at the core of our being. Yesterday, I talked with a family who were struggling with severe life challenges. Even so, the family had an upbeat and positive attitude. Why?
They told me that they believed that God would get them through it all. I decided right then and there to work on my attitude about life. When you get down to it, joy is an attitude.
In the back of the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul, imprisoned at the time he wrote the words, explained how to develop the attitude of joy:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)
To develop joy we need to:
1. Rejoice (living joy out loud).
2. Rejoice again.
3. Refuse to be harsh to anyone . . . be gentle to everyone.
4. Be still . . . know the presence of God . . . the Lord is near.
5. Do not worry about anything . . . we must refuse to worry . . . since worry is contagious and we live in a stress-filled era at a time when a good portion of people are worried . . . this will be a matter of continual surrender through prayer and thanksgiving.
6. Tell it all to God in prayer . . . dump it.
7. Live in thanksgiving . . . invest your time in giving thanks rather than focusing on a list of worries . . . easy to say . . . this is a discipline to develop.
8. Receive the peace of God . . . which will guard the heart and mind from distress.
The central component of working on the attitude of joy is inviting the presence of Christ into our thinking, speaking, and behavior. In other words, we do not live on our own but through the presence of Christ, God with us. Jesus explained to the Jewish leaders that the only way to live is through the living presence of God:
Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. (John 5:26, NRS)
Take time to work on your attitude today.
Develop the attitude of joy through the living presence of Christ.
Rejoice . . . be gentle . . . be still and know the presence of God . . . do not worry . . . pray . . . be grateful . . . receive the peace of God.
Learning with you to work on the attitude of joy.
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)
