The Power of Attitude!

Philippians 4:8

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

                In the letter to the Philippians, Paul spends a lot of time talking about attitude.  I believe his reason for taking this time sharing about this subject is this: he realizes that attitude can blind our eyes to reality.  I believe that the feeling we experience when we judge our life experiences can be skewed by our attitude, and it affects how we see the direction of our life.  And our enemy wants us to miss out on the opportunity to thank our God for the good he has placed in our life.

                As we learn from following the life of Paul, through the book of Acts he did not have the easiest life.  We see: he was unjustly jailed, he had falling out with friends, and ministry partners desert him.  He had his share of bad experiences, but he also had an incredible ministry. He brought the Church to much of the known world!  I believe he had been witness to the bad attitudes and misdirected focus, he had to make this same choice every day and had to watch people he cared lose this battle and leave the ministry.   Look at these 2 passages of scripture: (an example of partner to deserter)

Colossians 4:14 - Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas.

2 Timothy 4:10a - Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica.

                I know that in many times in my life and ministry I have missed the joys of service by focusing on my negative experience.  I felt I was treated unjustly or my effort was disregarded, but these small irritations stole the joy from the majority of my life and the blessing I was witnessing.   In reality I have been blessed over and above by the opportunities to serve and by the lives I have touched and by the people who have blessed my family. 

                Every day I have opportunities to miss out on the joy of life.  Or to express praise to my God for the many blessing.  Today I am choosing to “Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise!”

PRAISE!  This week we welcomed 4 new boys to the Ranch, brothers ages 4-13!