One of the things I like to tell people is to choose your attitude or your day will choose it for you. I used to commute to work. Some days it was an hour, and others it would take nearly three. I drove a stick shift and would be sitting in traffic laying on and off the clutch. It was easy to get worked up and upset constantly riding the bumper of someone else while some person (not what I called them 😉) would be trying to weave through stop and go traffic. I then read where people who sit in traffic like that are susceptible to heart attacks. I decided I couldn’t allow myself to get worked up and call people names. I started choosing my attitude no matter how bad traffic was, even if it caused me to be late to a class I was training. I put on soft music and sang along in order to distract my mind. I also reminded myself that there was nothing I could do about the traffic. Some days, I just had to keep reminding myself over and over.
As a believer, there’s often a battle of the mind that has to be won over and over. It’s easy to let my past creep up on me to change my focus from what God’s grace has done to the things I’ve done in my past. That condemning mindset wants to try to tell me I’m not forgiven , I’ve used up too much grace, God could never use me, I’ve done too much, and so on. If i dwell on those thoughts, it would be easy to be unproductive, stagnant in my growth and cold to Christ in our relationship. I realize I’m unworthy of His grace, but I also remind myself that His grace is sufficient and the work has already been done. I have to choose my attitude and renew my way of thinking daily in order to keep growing and receiving God’s grace. I remind myself it’s not about what I’ve done, but what He’s done and is doing in me.
Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “And be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]” (AMP). When I’m feeling unworthy or those thoughts creep up, I remind myself of these verses to renew my way of thinking, to remember I’m made in God’s image and to thank Jesus for what He did for me. We all have choose our attitude, how we think and what we dwell on or we can go down some dark rabbit holes that will hold us back from the life we were created to live. If you’re struggling with those thoughts, ask God to help you continually renew your mind so you can be transformed from the inside out.
Photo by Luis Fernandes from Pexels
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 
Good stuff, as usual, Chris.
One thing I’m trying to learn is that it’s OK for things to just stink sometimes.
I’m like a boy scout who always wants to be prepared. Well, yesterday I was unprepared for a 12 hour power outage during a blizzard. I spent most of the day kicking myself for not owning a generator like my insightful neighbors.
Some days just aren’t the best, and there’s not much too be done about it.
Life, like traffic, is unpredictable.
It’s a good thing God is not. Sunlight, air and gravity are pretty cool.
I enjoy your offerings. Keep up the great work! God Bless
Thanks. The storm got here last night and we lost power about three hours ago. I have been thinking the same thing about the generator, but I’m really kicking myself for not filling my portable propane tanks. It would be nice to have some heat in the house today 😉.
I’m praying your power is back on soon. And also lifting up the frozen utility company people who are out in the elements fixing it. It’s -3 here, but feels like -27 with the wind chill. Coldest air I’ve ever felt in these parts.