Check Yourself!

Psalm 51:10-12
10) Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.11) Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.12) Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."

Our last devotional message entitled “The Power of One”, highlighted the fact that as believers we have the divine responsibility to effect positive change in the world around us. Many may find it difficult to optimize the “Power of One” in our lives because we are focused on the difficulties that we face in everyday life. We forget that the present difficulties we face pale in comparison to the faithfulness that has brought us safe thus far as well as the promises of God regarding this life and he life to come. Perhaps even more striking is our failure to understand that our present blessings are many and that there are multitudes of men, women and children facing challenges we know not of. If we couch our perspective within a construct of self-pity and ingratitude, we can never fully realize the glory of God in our lives. The believer is challenged to perform a daily attitude check, and if necessary make adjustments that more aptly reflect a clean heart and a right spirit before God.

Give. Don’t Give Up!

I find it very difficult to feel sorry for my own state when I am working to elevate others in need. I read recently of an amazing young lady by the name of Deanna. She was diagnosed in 2003 at the age of 10 with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer usually found in children and young adults. Due to several relapses of her disease, there were many return visits to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital from 2003 until 2007. Deanna's incredible determination, infinite faith, and will to live helped her to fight her disease for four long years. She just refused to give up. During those four years of treatments which included a stem cell transplant, she became a well known face to many at the hospital with her charming, positive, and uncompromising attitude. Deanna was a very loving and giving young lady. She worried more about others than she did about herself. Deanna's greatest joy was helping other children with the desire of lifting their spirits. Deanna loved delivering fruit baskets or snack baskets to the families. One of Deanna's favorite gifts for the younger children was a stuffed animal that she personally built for them at Build-A-Bear. The stuffed animal's name on it's birth certificate was the child's name who was the recipient of the gift. On April 9th, 2007 Deanna Glossup passed away at the age of 14. (Source:http://www.deannaglossupfoundation.org/)

When Deanna’s parents were asked what other families should remember in the face of difficult illnesses they wrote the following: “Keep the faith, keep the fight, and never, ever give up! Cancer is so limited, it cannot cripple love, it cannot shatter hope, it cannot corrode faith, it cannot destroy peace, it cannot kill true friendship, it cannot suppress memories, it cannot silence courage, it cannot invade ones soul, it cannot conquer the spirit, And it cannot EVER steal eternal LIFE.”

What a powerful testimony of God’s grace and healing of the heart. Deanna’s attitude toward her BIG problem was that God had given her a measure of grace each day that she woke up; not for herself but for the sake of those whose lives she was to touch. How many of us can truly say that at this point in our walk with God, if diagnosed with a life threatening disease, we would have enough obedience and faith to reach outwardly as givers and maintain a positive attitude?
Be like Deanna. Give. Don’t Give Up!

Be Free!

A negative attitude is emotionally, psychologically and spiritually binding. I read once that when you feel dog tired at night, it may be because you've growled all day long. For some reason, we find it easier to be harsh in conversation, plenteous in anger and devoid of grace toward others. Our boss can get on our nerves just by walking into the room. Our children annoy us with the very speaking of our names. We vehemently wonder why that sister on our row at church has to bang that tamborine quite so loudly. If we could, some of us would spit balls of fire at the guy that cut us off in traffic. We must strive to not be so easily moved by small annoyances. Sometimes God may actually be trying to show us a valuable lesson. Check your attitude! And for those of us who lack such extreme passion as described above, maybe we simply allow the tiniest bit of bad news during morning hours to negatively influence our take on an entire day. It’s easier to take a “woe is me” attitude that locks our faith into a vice grip of stagnation that simply will not lead to our being free in God! Let us pray Psalm 12 in our own situation: “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Know that God’s Word provides us with a blue-print for constructing a positive attitude. Nehemiah 8: 10 reads “…for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” When we recognize that each day is a gift and a “holy” one, given by God, we gain a joy that allows us to be strong in the face of negativity. Strong enough in fact to break FREE from what binds us!

Mind over Matter

Paul reminds us to get our minds right! Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” What were you thinking just 10 minutes before you began reading this passage? Would those thoughts be reflective of a Godly attitude? There have been many times in my personal life that I felt inadequate to maintain a positive attitude, especially when all around me everyone seemed to be happier, more capable and utterly triumphant. Those periods of my life are painfully marked by failure and disappointment. As I matured in my relationship with God, I began to understand that my attitude determined my outcome. The battle for your success in a particular area is fought and won in the mind. I grew to understand that Romans 12 :2 applied to me: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The will of God is made manifest in our joyful submission to it. Romans 5:3-5 reads "3) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Reading and recalling these scriptures builds the spirit in such a way that the battles fought in our minds are solidly won for the glory of God and our personal growth.

Dr.’s Orders: 
1) Reflect on a situation that upset you in the recent past. Was your attitude and response reflective of how you felt or how God would expect a believer to feel and respond?
a. How did your attitude change your relationship(s) with the individual(s)?
b. Identify any damaged relationship(s) and make an initial step toward healing (i.e. conversation, act of kindness, or prayer)
2) Pray that God will prepare your attitude for the next challenge to come. Be ready to demonstrate a spirit of grace and love.
3) Consider donating to the Deanna Glossup Foundation by visiting http://www.deannaglossupfoundation.org/.