John Maxwell once said: ‘You can’t be a smart cookie if you have a crummy attitude.’
I kind of laugh at these funny cliche quotes that make a play on words to get the point across. But this one really does carry a strong scent of truth to it.
A crummy attitude seems to be something we are so quick to notice and loathe in the life of another, yet so slow and slack to pick up on in our own life. Or maybe not slow and slack – but rather unwilling.
We feel justified in our attitude because of the circumstances that caused it. A broken relationship. An unrealized expectation. An unfulfilled promise. These things and more cause us to feel ripped off. Slighted. Cheated out of what we deserve.
Wait a minute – “deserve“???
It blows my mind how we get trapped into this ‘I deserve’ mindset in the church. That’s because we’ve actually got A LOT MORE than what we deserve. By the grace of God and His unmerited favor towards us, we are on our way to living a life of fullness and abundance – yet we somehow get the idea in our heads that we ‘deserve’ more.
So much of our attitude ties in to our expectations of what we feel is due to us… owed to us. And, when someone or something causes us to fall short in these things, our attitude can tend to become a little ‘crummy’.
BUT – If I were to start counting everything good in my life that I can’t lay claim to ‘deserving’, it would demolish my own concept of what I think I ‘deserve’, and bring a fresh awareness to the goodness of God in my life.
Maybe I’m not so cheated after all. Maybe I’m acting like a spoiled brat and need to recalibrate my attitude about things a little.
You’ve probably heard that famous Swindoll quote that states, ‘life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.’ I really think he is on to something here. I wonder if we’re more empowered to walk through the difficulties of our lives, when we back off from asking God to change the external circumstances, and instead, ask for His help in changing our attitude toward them.
What do you think???
JJ
I think you’ve realized something very important. I have been through many trials and tribulations in my life. And it wasnt until I discovered that there was the “situation” and there was “THE PROBLEM”. “THE PROBLEM” being me, the attitudes, beliefs and distortions I brought to the reality of the situation.
The “I dont deserve this” to “Why me?”
So I’ve learned to pray ” God, if you wont change the situation…then please change me… This allows me to let go and let God and takes my Ego out of the equation. I ask god to remove the obstacle thats preventing me to surrender and then I am free to trust…it will be done. Wil
Good word P.J.
I’ve noticed the bad attitude that I’ve had recently and have been working on changing it…and i think that the 10/90 theory really is true. There will be times when everything is good…then something will happen and I can feel everything start to go down. Then I’ve stopped…breathed, and told myself-and who or whatever else is listening-that sorry, no deal, it’s not gonna get to me. Then I begin praying not only for the situation, but for my attitude in it.
And I end up having a very, very good day.
plus, something that came into my head that you used to say…”feelings don’t matter.” (well…not always) Just because I’m feeling like whatever is happening is not okay and I deserve better and blah blah blah doesn’t mean that I need to let everything around me take on that discontentment.
oh and last thought…sorry so long…but i like the thing you said about counting everything good in your life that you can’t lay claim to deserving. It’s a very, very good point.
~nicole