Dear Readers, choosing to have an excellent attitude, whatever your circumstances may be, is a mindset that can be an uphill battle living in a negative world. So, I wanted to share with you again my own experience in the hopes it may encourage you today.
Who can forget their first job?
I had the greatest one ever! My best friend and I opened an organic food cafe
in our neighborhood back home. I remember the decor was done in earthy tones, and
we were quite successful.
Okay, so we 6 year old entrepreneur’s who sold mud pies out of my Dad’s deer stand. But, it was an income and it paid the car notes. (We collected Hot Wheels.)
Since that time, my employment history has been somewhat diversified to say the least. I have worked at a convenience store, floral shop, dog kennel,
veterinarian clinic, a couple of dept. stores, an insurance agency, and news papers. Many years ago when I first became an Account Representative at a newspaper I worked for a company where my schedule was very
challenging, but I really enjoyed my job. I love working with people.
At that time, I was a new born again believer in Christ Jesus so I was actually
experiencing life for the first time through His Holy Spirit. God’s love is so tangible, and I was falling in love with this wonderful Person, who loved me first. This is the way God intended for all of us to know Him.
I had faith, hope, and love working within me and I wasn’t
doing anything by myself, or in my own strength anymore.
Well, one of my first appointments was with a business owner who was very nice, and straightforward. He had owned his company for quite a while so he was also extremely familiar with my job.
At our first meeting I was bubbly, and very enthusiastic, rambling on about the
products we offered along, with some ideas I had on how to market his business.
The man never spoke a word, and listened with absolutely no expression on his face, but I will never forget his response.
When I finished up the presentation I sat back with a wide smile.
(Ta-daaaaa!)
He leaned forward and looked me square in the eyes.
“Brenda, do you know what your company does?”
I quirked my head sideways and with a puzzled look replied, “Uh, no Sir, what
do you mean?”
“Here, I’ll tell ya. They get a fresh energetic, eager person like your self
in here, and they will … USE … YOU … UP!!! They will work the life right
out of you, and push you so hard until there is nothing left. Then they will get
rid of you, and just get another new one.”
Leaning back in his chair he casually added, “I’ve seen it happen time and
again.”
I had no response.
(Hmmm, I don’t think this was in the ‘Overcoming Objections’ section
in the Sales Manual.)
So, I chose to ignore the remark. Maybe he had recently switched to Decaf or something. Lol.
Sadly, over the years I found his statement to be so true. Within only a couple of years I found myself so burnt out, I dreaded coming to work every day. But remember, I said the job had always been demanding, yet it was my perspective that changed over time, I quit having an excellent attitude. It wasn’t the companies fault at all.
I got into Sales because I loved the people, not the job itself. That was my favorite part of the job. It wasn’t about making money as much as getting to know my customer’s and
meeting their marketing needs along the way.
And because of my relationship with God I was now “joint heirs with His
Son, Jesus” so I could trust Him because He promises that all of my needs will
be supplied.
It was a no lose situation.
But then I started getting caught up in the doing of my job, and not the
being, and it started becoming a huge burden. I began to spend less and less time with God and abiding in His word. I started trusting in
myself/self dependent so I felt the need to work harder and longer hours.
You know, I heard someone explain the Christian life, our relationship with the Lord Jesus like this, “It’s like riding in a plane. Here you are, flying hundreds of miles per hour, way up high! But if you ever forget that you are just the passenger in a plane, and began to think that you’re the one doing the flying, and step out of the plane, you’ll crash. It’s not the pilots fault that you stepped out of the plane.”
Well, that’s exactly what I had done, and it had affected every part of my life. And as a result I started resenting the company, and dreaded coming to work each day. I also took my grievances out on my family, complaining/bitter. It was a difficult time for us all.
I quit being thankful to God for all the good things in my life. Number one, the wonderful gift of His Son.
In the same aspect, though God has a plan for each of our lives He never
wants us to get so caught up in the doing part for Him, that we should forget the real reason for our existence.
So that, through the Lord Jesus Christ we can experience an intimate, loving and power-filled relationship with the
only true living God.
He wants each one of us to experience Him in such a way that our works for
God will be a fruit from our fellowship with Him, and not the root to a
relationship with Him. Big difference.
I have heard it put this way, “God does not want to use us up like a tube of toothpaste.”
But you can’t give away what you don’t have, know that you have.
Receive the goodness of God today by faith in what He as already provided
by grace and your life will not be just a daily routine, it can be an adventure
in Love.
And you will have an excellent attitude at the job, home or where ever you are.
There are so many examples of people in the Bible who experienced extreme circumstances and injustices, yet they choose to have a different perspective of things. They didn’t ignore the situation, but rather chose to magnify God, His word/promises and presence. (The apostle Paul had been severely beaten, and locked away in the lowest part of a prison for simply preaching the Gospel (good news), yet he wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!” Philippians 4:4)
I think about this quite often when I am tempted to become discouraged, or vent, or have a stinky attitude. But I think about Paul, and in comparison my puny problems, well, are not even to be compared. It just puts things into perspective.
Brother’s and Sisters, adopting an excellent attitude in everything we do is not just a suggestion. It is the God given ability to rejoice in the Lord when facing unpleasant, or even severe circumstances is not just because people may be watching you, but because our Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally. He is for us, not against us. He is pleased with you, He see’s His Son, Jesus, living in you- in your new born again spirit.
You know, I have never done anything perfectly in my live, and I am learning how to have excellent attitude, and what that looks like.
But it is a choice … so choose life.
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added to you.” Matt. 6:33
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
