Excuse Me, Your Attitude Is Showing

21 Jun 2009 5 Comments

by Rest Ministries in Devotionals2 Tags: attitude, CFS, challenge, chemical sensitivities, chronic, daily, fibromyalgia, hopekeepers, IBS, illness, Interstitial cystitis, lupus, michele williams, pain, rest ministries, rheumatoid arthritis

“All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.” (Proverbs 15:15 NIV)

I had a friend who complained about every little hangnail and sniffle. It came to the point whenever she really had something to complain about no one wanted to listen. Our attitudes color our whole personality. Let’s face it, none of us choose to have chronic illness and pain. But we can choose our attitude towards the chronic illness and pain.

Growing up my family was friends with a dear couple who were both crippled from polio in childhood. She worked in a factory all her life and he had his own TV/Radio repair shop. As the years continued their disabilities increased to where they needed special care, but they never complained. They were always happy and gracious individuals. This couple had such a happy attitude concerning their life challenges. It’s as though they have taken the old saying, “God give you lemons, then make lemonade.”

In reality they have found the secret to a happy heart by filling their mind with thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely admirable, excellent along with other thoughts that dwell on the good things in life and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). As we face the challenges of chronic illness we need to check our attitudes and then examine what we allow to enter our mind through television, books, conversations, movies, magazines and what we choose to dwell on. We may need to replace harmful input with some wholesome material. Above all we need to read God’s Word and pray asking God to give us an attitude adjustment so we can focus on what is good and pure.

Dear gracious heavenly Father, help us to daily make the right choices of what we should put into our minds so that we can dwell on what is pure and worthy of praise. Where change needs to happen, give us an attitude adjustment so we can be a witness for you. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michele Williams lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband of 35 years, along with their two dogs, and a cat. They have a beautiful grown daughter, son-in-law, and a handsome 14 year old grandson all of whom love the Lord and serve Him faithfully. Michele enjoys writing, blogging, nature and mostly spending time with her family. Michele is trusting in God that He will strengthen her to rise above life’s difficulties. Since 1985 she has lived with multiple chronic illnesses: Fibromyalgia, CFS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Interstitial cystitis, IBS, chemical sensitivities, to name a few. Visit Michele’s informative, encouraging and sometimes humorous Blogs: Beelieve You Can!- Michel’s Morsels http://michele-risingabove.blogspot.com and Beelieve You Can! A Healthier Me. http://beelieve-ahealthierme.blogspot.com

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