Choose the Right Attitude
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8–9)
One author writes: ‘Columbia researcher Sheena Iyengar has found that the average person makes about seventy conscious decisions every day. That’s 25,550 decisions a year. Over seventy years, that’s 1,788,500 decisions. Albert Camus said, “Life is a sum of all your choices.” You put all those 1,788,500 choices together, that’s who you are. Victor Frankl was a brilliant doctor whom the Nazis imprisoned in a concentration camp. They took away his livelihood, confiscated his possessions, mocked his dignity, and killed his family. They locked him in a cell with no way out…But he found a door that his guards did not know about: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
‘He found that when his circumstances had closed every outer door to him, they revealed to him the doors that matter far more – the doors through which a soul can leave fear and enter into courage, leave hatred and enter into forgiveness, leave ignorance and enter into learning. He discovered that his guards were actually far more imprisoned – by cruelty and ignorance and foolish obedience to barbarism – than he was imprisoned by walls and barbed wire. Some people learn this and become free; some never see it and live their lives as prisoners.’
The difference is in the door you choose or the attitude you choose. That’s why Paul writes: ‘Whatsoever things are true…honest…just…pure…lovely…of good report…think on these things’ (v. 8). Today, choose the right attitude!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, keep me focused and thinking on those things that are noble, as Your Word says. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
ITTT
I appreciate all of the daily devotions! Thank you for the bright light in my days! Carol Zimmer
Years ago when I began my studies in computer programming, the first thing that the instructor said was “write down every decision that you have made from the moment that you got out of bed until you walked into this classroom.” He pointed out that every movement or thought, no matter how slight, involved a decision. We actually make thousands of choices and decisions every day.
Thank you for your devotions every day.
Well done, thank you.
Today’s devotion is especially gorgeous and relevant. Thank you for your enduring work and contribution to leave one person, one day, at a time.