A is for Attitude

My morning devotions were titled, "Work on your Attitude." I decided to skip them because there is nothing wrong with my attitude. I chose instead to glance at the notes I had taken during the Sunday sermon. I had jotted down two things:

1. Deny ourselves - follow Jesus

2. Gradually we become comfortable with sin

Now, all I have to do is remember what it was about those two statements that caught my attention. As I struggle with this addiction to food I realize I seldom deny myself; seldom choose Jesus before eating something I want to eat. But, Jesus tells me that all I have to do is choose Him. “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty’.” (John 6:35)

The second bullet point about gradually getting comfortable with sin was like a glass of water thrown in my face. I have admitted that my eating issues are sin; they are disobedience and gluttony. Wow, that was hard to say. How many of us have dieted, lost weight, and gone back to the old ways? How many of us can truthfully look back and see how, bit by bit, our old eating habits stole back into our lives? I can now see how I have become comfortable with sin and my old eating habits. So comfortable that maybe I don’t want to change.

What does this have to do with attitude? For me it is everything. Synonyms for attitude are boldness, brashness, arrogance, insolence, defiance…need I go on? When I go after my wants as opposed to my needs, I exhibit an attitude of self-importance. Eating has become an idol in my life.  I have been placing my desire for food before my desire for Christ. I have been allowing my wants and my selfish ways to hinder my relationship with God.

"Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him." (Psalm 32:10) Read the entire Psalm 32 text here.

Just For fun: Here is a challenging ‘A’ word, abstemious (ab-STEE-me-us) Consuming food and drink in moderation. Those who are abstemious restrict themselves to the bare necessities of life.

My attitude today is to feed on God's Word. What's yours?

Grace 'n Grins,

Judy