Even though it’s something I’m not often led to talk or write about, I feel the Lord wants me to share what I know through my own life experience about the difference good and bad attitudes make when we find ourselves in trying circumstances, because our attitudes can definitely make ANY situation better or worse. As we think in our hearts, so are we, just as Proverbs 23:7 says, which is something we really need to keep in mind as we stand for the restoration of our marriages. Of course, as with just about everything else concerning us as Christians, even whether or not we have positive or negative attitudes depends on the level of faith we have and how it’s walked out in the reality of our lives. In the end, our attitudes are really just a mirror reflecting the measure of faith we have in God, and the trust and confidence we place in the power of His Word and promises.

The following post shared by one of the FAM Fellowship members on the ladies’ private website is what prompted me to consider sharing my personal experience and understanding of how important our attitudes are when we find ourselves in seemingly insurmountable circumstances, so I appreciate her permission to include it here as follows.

“Yesterday, a very special and dear sister in Christ called me just to chat and then asked how she could pray for me. I was actually taken off guard since I really didn’t know what to say, other than to continue to pray for further softening of my husband’s heart and the sale of our home. We also agreed that my husband still has anger issues that needed prayer as well. But I tried to come up with something for myself and was unable to, because of the peace I have. And when I lay down last night to read my bible, God led me to Acts 2:25-28:
King David said this about him: ‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.

I am resting in God’s peace – I am finally able after all this time to enjoy the JOY in my life and not let Satan drag me down. Even this morning, my husband got very irritated with me over something very minor, and slammed the door on me. But you know what, I didn’t let Satan steal the joy I have, because at least my husband is here in the home. If he wants to get upset over a toothbrush and slam a door, that is his issue, and not mine – He has to own up to his anger, not me. Otherwise Satan will use that to destroy my joy. I am finally taking ownership back from Satan and living my life so I can glorify God and tell others of the peace and joy that is available to all if they will just allow God to work in their own lives.

I read in my Bible, under the notes section while reading the book of Acts, that while the apostles waited, they were doing what they could- praying, seeking God’s guidance and getting organized. Waiting for God to work does not mean sitting around doing nothing. We must do what we can while we can as long as we don’t run ahead of God.” Isn’t that oh so true of our stand for our marriages. I am not sitting back waiting for Satan to come in again to steal me away from God’s plan. However, I am not going to live in the flesh either and get ahead of God.
Love you all and have a very blessed day. (Name Omitted)”

And here’s the response I posted yesterday:
“(Name Omitted), I may run behind these days, but I do hope to make the time to respond when you share something as important as this. As someone learning to live with the limitations of being blind, I learned early on in life that my attitude would make my circumstances either better or worse. And while I can’t do anything about the circumstances, I sure can do something about my attitude, and it’s ONLY because I made the intentional decision NOT to be handicapped by what others would consider a great handicap, that God has actually been able to use it for His glory. Now, what kind of glory would He have if I just sat around and felt sorry for myself and focused only on what I can’t do or change instead of what I can.

So…that sort of puts me in a unique position to say very authoritatively – stop feeling sorry for yourself! And, as many of you already know, I’m not shy about doing that when necessary! In fact, I haven’t ever felt led to write about this on the site, but maybe it’s time I do!

I greatly admire you, (Name Omitted), which you already know. And I’ve often said I don’t know if there’s enough grace available to help me do as well as you have done in the circumstances you’re in – but we all know that’s just another one of the devil’s lies! In the same way I don’t think I could walk your walk, you probably don’t think you could walk mine. But our God is so awesome and so faithful that He gives us all the grace and anointing we need to walk the walk He has called each one of us to, and that’s how Jesus is glorified in and through us. So thank you for sharing this – it’s very encouraging and an important reminder that we have to CHOOSE to be happy in the Lord – that God lays the choice in front of us and tells us to choose life and blessings. And I’m glad to know that I don’t even have to ask you if it’s okay for me to modify this slightly and use it in my SOF post today, which is what I think I’ll do! so thanks for that too! I love you and appreciate you, as I know the other men and women do as well!

Dear Lord, I thank you for the awesome work you have done in (Name Omitted) heart and life – for the amazing grace and peace you give her – that she refuses to let the devil steal what You, our Lord and Savior, came to give us. And, Lord, we ask for your transforming power to overcome her husband and that his hardened heart will begin to melt like the snow on the mountain tops as the weather turns from the frost of winter to the warmth of spring! Tear down all of the remaining walls of resistance and soften the ground of his heart as you make your thoughts known to him and pour your heart out to him. We’ve definitely seen a change in him lately, Lord, and we know the devil hates that, but we also know that your power is the greater and that every wicked scheme and plan of the devil’s is of no force or effect; that he will soon be totally and completely captivated by the beautiful and precious wife you have so richly blessed him with. That man has to know that NO other woman on the face of this earth could ever love him the way she does, and your Word tells us that unfailing love is what every man desires! Thank you for the miracle of restoration you are working and completing in this marriage and family – especially with their son (Name Omitted), and that you will be ever so faithful to complete it! We love you and we praise you as we give you all the honor and glory for the great things you have already done and continue to do! And we ask this in your most precious name, Jesus. amen.”

Obviously, I was very impressed with the message shared in the above post, because it is such a real life example of the day to day choices we all have to make as we stand against the forces of hell and the world for the restoration of our marriages and families, or in ANY situation or circumstance that could overwhelm us if we allowed it to. And it did remind me that I have had to make choices like that most of my life, and that one of the saddest things is seeing God given potential totally wasted and squandered because of self-pity or when we choose to identify ourselves as victims instead of the victors Jesus Christ died to make us. And we know that because Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And 2 Corinthians 12:9 affirms that, because it says But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. And what awesome encouragement and assurance we have from the Lord in Isaiah 41:10-13, which says So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. And, of course, we just can’t do better than the Lord’s promise in Romans 8:28-31, which reminds us: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

So we all have choices to make as we stand for our marriages and when we face any difficulty in our lives, including poor health or even some kind of disability like blindness. We can focus on everything we don’t have, or on what we do have. We can focus on what we can’t do, or we can focus on what we can do. We can live in the past, or we can live in the present. We can live with regret and self-pity, or we can live with the grace and hope Jesus died to give us. We can be part of the problem, or we can be part of the solution.

One important lesson my personal experience has taught me is that we won’t ever have more than we’re willing to settle for, and I for one, am NOT willing to settle for anything less than God’s best! So the choice is before all of us to make, because no matter what the situation and circumstances are, we ARE going to make everything better or worse with our attitude. And if nothing else, I know the work the Lord has led me to do in this ministry, as well as other work I do on behalf of fraud victims, is a perfect example of the difference our attitudes can make in our lives and the lives of others. When we realize that God can use ANY vessel as long as it’s fully yielded and willing, that’s all we need to know, and it will be more than enough to overcome any disability, short coming or obstacle!. Whatever God calls us to, HE will give us EVERYTHIG we need to do, and all that’s necessary to get us through! And one of the most important lessons I had to learn as a Christian living with the undeniable limitations of blindness is that God would NEVER expect me to do anything I am not able to do, but that He DOES expect me to do everything I CAN do. And that was a very significant and life changing realization for me personally, because I did used to think things like…if I could se…I could do this or I could do that. So I was focusing much more on what I couldn’t do instead of what I could do. And the night the Lord told me so clearly that He didn’t expect me to do what He knows I can’t do; that He just wanted me to do what He knew I could do and whatever He put in front of me TO do, I made a commitment to Him that I’d do my very best to do ANYTHING he put in front of me to do. And if we would all take that attitude in every circumstance and situation, we would see the power and glory of our Lord and Savior manifested in ways far beyond our wildest imagination!

A very simple but powerful prayer I’ve had to rely on from time to time in my life is known as The Serenity Prayer, because it goes something like this: god grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. And I hope to always walk in the power and wisdom of the counsel in 1 Peter 4:11, which says If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. And when we line our attitudes up with these two things, we can’t go wrong and we WILL most assuredly be blessed and encouraged, and Jesus will be glorified!

Posted Friday, March 23rd, 2007 at 8:27 pm in Seeds Of Faith.