Attitude

I have an attitude problem.

I am cranky, easily irritated, and downright frustrated.

UGH!

I think if only my kids would behave, if my husband would meet my every need (even when I don’t know what it is I need), if health wellness and prosperity marked my whole extended family, if my dreams and longings were filled, if all my loved ones lived for Jesus then my attitude would be right.

I am too easily satisfied. I think the things of this sinful, fading world will adjust my attitude. They will fill and satisfy me.

But that isn’t so. Nothing on this earth can fill me, except God. Only He can satisfy. Jesus our bread of life so we may never hunger and our living water so we may never thirst,  He satisfies. Why do I forget like I have spiritual Alzheimer’s?

In my heart I add this to the list of my failures–marking me as unacceptable for God’s grace and mercy. I condemn myself as a hopeless case and pile mistake after mistake on my bad attitude. This mental failure list only feeds my bad attitude and soon my attitude problem is bigger than even God can handle. At least my inner dialog tells me so.

As I write this down I realize how ridiculous this is. God is bigger than my attitude, His grace is sufficient for me. In fact His power is perfected in my weakness.

So why do I think I can handle my attitude? God doesn’t want me to handle it. He wants me to admit I can’t and hand it over to Him. It is in weakness His power is perfected. When I stop striving and let His Spirit handle my attitude and when I finally tell my inner dialog that it is right, I can’t do it, then I can do all things through Christ.

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Do you see we do not have to beat ourselves up for weakness. No in our weakness we just need to press into our grace-giving God. He wants us weak that in Him alone we may be strong.

Oh that we may be weak and boast in our weaknesses so God may be glorified.

How about you? What do you do with your attitude?