Day 35 attitude

 Sitting in church on Sunday being very distracted by the children running around and a million things on my mind when a sentence that was running through my head stopped on the word 'attitude'.  So much of what we do and how we do it depends on our attitude.   On Sunday I was tired and distracted and not really focused on Jesus.  My attitude probably wasnt the best.  But then I started to ponder,.......being a bit of a word nerd my thoughts get hijacked in this way quite often and usually it starts with me wondering what the word actually means and where the word comes from,

So.... attitude

Origin
late 17th century (denoting the placing or posture of a figure in art): from French, from Italian attitudine ‘fitness, posture’, from late Latin aptitudo, from aptus ‘fit’.

This is interesting because our English word which the dictionary defines as 'a settled way of thinking or feeling about something' actually started out as being more about aptitude (ie being fit for purpose) and posture 

If I have a bad attitude then my posture towards whatever it is Im grumping about is out of kilter. I am not fit for purpose.  Im crooked. Not standing tall and sure. I like that definition because it reminds me that improving my attitude is entirely within my control.  True, my circumstances might have momentarily bent me out of shape.  But Jesus has taken all my bent-out-of-shapeness and given me a new heart which knows perfectly well how to behave.   So I just need to remind myself that Jesus has made me suitable and fit for every purpose He sees fit to bring across my path. 

Last Sunday a five year old in church was having a very bad day.  She was clearly tired and absolutely nothing that was happening in her Mini Church class was right.  There were tears.  There were requests to leave the room.  There was sulking and refusing and general poor form.  She is usually a bright wee spark and this was not normal for her so the adults in the room were patient and sympathetic and we managed to cajole her into doing what everyone else was doing.  But as soon as her Mum came in to collect her she had a full on meltdown.  Poor Mum looked on the edge.  Apparently this had been going on since 6.30am and getting to church had been a real battle.  I felt so sorry for the Mum - remembering stressy parenting days like that in my not-too-distant past. 

Something had bent the wee girl out of shape. But because she was 5 she wasn't really able to straighten herself up again.  Her attitude then started to bend her Mum out of shape. That's how it goes sometimes isnt it?  We can be doing OK and then we bump into someone who is all out of shape and all of a sudden we are bumping into their sharp pointy bits and getting damaged ourselves. 

make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6Though he was God,a

he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

7Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slavec

and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,d

8he humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal’s death on a cross.  (Phil 2 2-8)

Love, unity, humility, generosity, obedience. If we can grow in these we will be growing the attitude of Jesus. And we will not only stand straight and tall and true, but we will straighten out those around us who are all bent out of shape by their circumstances.      Go to it!