January 2021 – PJ's Monday Musings

Attitude Check: what our attitudes are really telling people right now

Attitude.

Been thinking a little bit about that word lately.

So last week, I decided to type in “attitude quotes” into my Google search bar to learn a little bit about people’s perceptions of “attitude” and how it impacts our lives.

“Attitude is everything,” is one of the more common viewpoints out there. And, even though it’s kind of an oversimplification of how our attitudes impact our lives, there’s a lot of truth in that statement.

Our attitudes really do impact not just our lives, but the lives of those around us. Two historical figures have summed it up this way…

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill
“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.” – Albert Einstein

Turns out that our attitudes matter…a lot.

Especially as Christians.

It was Paul who wrote in Philippians 2:5…

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

If you go back and read verses 1-4 of that chapter, you’ll find examples of what having a Jesus’ attitude looks like. Paul says things like…

Stop being selfish (v3)

Stop trying to impress people (v3)

Be humble (v3)

Start thinking of others as better than yourself (v3)

Stop being proud (basically all of verse 3)

Stop doing only what’s best for you (v4)

Start paying more attention to the interests of others (v4)

Okay, so here’s the deal.

Our attitudes as Christians matter…A LOT.

The people around us (think your family, neighbors, coworkers, friends, etc.) are learning from us. Among other things, they are learning how we react and respond to the things going on around us (good and bad)…in our communities, in our nation, and in our world.

And, our attitudes (and the reactions that go with them) are giving people either a good and positive view of who Jesus is or one that makes Jesus look petty, selfish, arrogant, and condescending.

Clearly, these are difficult, divided days that we are all living in.

Right now, the division and disagreements we have are centered primarily on politics, race, COVID-19, and the economy.

But, even if/when these issues fade away or get resolved, there will be other things for us to divide and fight over. And the people around you will always be looking to you to see how you react and respond to them.

So, ask yourself, what is your attitude telling people right now?

Is your attitude helping people see what having a Jesus’ attitude looks like?

Are you pointing people to Jesus these days or are you just pointing fingers?

Attitude may not be everything, but our attitudes as Christians say a lot.

May we be a people who have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had and consistently point people to Him.

Even when…especially when…it’s hard.

We are all image-bearers…and why that matters in a divided country.

Divided.

In last week’s Monday Musings’ post, I suggested that that will be the one word that best describes the year 2021…

But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

We now enter a week that started yesterday with churches all across the country pausing to recognize “Sanctity of Life” Sunday.

Today, as I write, many people in our country are pausing to remember the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

And, just two days from now, our country will inaugurate a new president and vice president to lead us for the next four years.

Depending on things like your race, politics, religion, socio-economic status, and even family background, each of these days probably mean something different to you.

And, because of this, these days (and this week) may end up only highlighting the division that you already sense and feel in your heart toward those who think or look or act differently than you.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Because, regardless of all that divides us, we all have one thing in common.

We are all image-bearers.

All of us have been created in the image of God.

From the moment of conception, we are His image-bearers.

Whatever the color of our skin, we are His image-bearers.

Whatever our political or socio-economic status, we are His image-bearers.

Whatever our religious beliefs (or even lack of them), we are His image-bearers.

Whatever our family background and history, we are His image-bearers.

We could go on, but the point is this…

We are all born image-bearers of our Creator God.

But, we are also all born broken image-bearers in need of a Savior.

The good news is that God knows that and sent His Son into the world to save us…to redeem us in our brokenness and to give us life to the full. (John 3:16-17 & John 10:10)

The bad news is that the devil knows that too and is doing all that he can to steal and kill and destroy the lives of God’s image-bearers. (John 10:10)

Behind all that divides us in 2021 is a battle far greater than the one’s we wage over race, religion, politics, or anything else.

As Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, this battle is not “against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

We live in a culture right now that has convinced us that those who don’t agree with us are our enemies.

(The polarization and division we see/feel in our country is a product of that).

But this week, I am reminded again that the real enemy of all of us isn’t walking around in human skin.

The real enemy of all of us is the one who has convinced us that it is okay to steal and kill and destroy the life of the unborn image-bearer.

The real enemy of all of us is the one who has convinced us that it is okay to steal and kill and destroy the dignity of another image-bearer simply based on the color of their skin.

And, the real enemy of all of us is the one who has convinced us that it is okay to hate other image-bearers just because they think or act or look differently than we do.

The truth is, we are a divided, image-bearing people.

And, if there was ever a time (and a week) where we need to put into practice the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:44, this is it.

May we be image-bearers who don’t just love the image-bearers that love us back.

And, may we also be image-bearers that are always pointing other image-bearers to Jesus.

⁴³“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! ⁴⁵In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. ⁴⁶If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. ⁴⁷If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. ⁴⁸But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Jesus in Matthew 5:43-48)

Monday Musings: An Inauguration Day Perspective from Jeremiah 17

Inauguration Day is coming soon here in America.

And that’s good news for some and bad news for others (depending on your point of view).

If the one word that best described 2020 was “angst,” it seems like the one word to best describe 2021 will be “divided.”

Nowhere has that been seen more clearly recently than in politics, but the reality is, we are a divided people in many ways…politics yes.

And…also things like religion, race, gender, and economics (just to name a few).

Not to mention all of the things we argue and debate and divide over on social media…but that list would be too long to include here.

(And probably too divisive…)

In all of these things, it’s easy to justify our own opinions and belittle or even condemn the opinions of others.

It’s easy to “throw hands” on our social media feeds as we debate and argue and unfriend each other over whatever argument we believe is worth fighting for (and losing friends over).

It’s even easy to sit back and say/do nothing…to choose to not engage with the debates on any level.

But we don’t always do that with the purest motives either.

In times like these, we all need wisdom from the LORD.

So, whatever your opinion is of our country right now…

Whether you are looking at Inauguration Day as a fresh start or the beginning of the end…

As the product of an ongoing conspiracy or the voice of the people…

Regardless of your stance on anything political, hear these words from Jeremiah 17…

This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
    who rely on human strength
    and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
⁶They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
    with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salty land.

⁷“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
    and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
⁸They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
    with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
    or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
    and they never stop producing fruit.

⁹“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
    and desperately wicked.
    Who really knows how bad it is?
¹⁰But I, the Lord, search all hearts
    and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
    according to what their actions deserve.”

In a country that is clearly divided right now on so many levels, we need to remember that our trust cannot be in mere humans (v5).

But rather, our trust must always be in the LORD…our hope and our confidence must come from Him (v7).

Why?

Because when we choose to put our trust in men, our hope is misplaced at best and will ultimately ruin us (v6).

Because it is the LORD who searches all hearts and examines secret motives…

He is the only One with the power and authority to give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve (v10).

And, this is true for everyone.

For the media.

For the politicians.

For the protestors and anti-protestors.

For me and you.

May we all be a people who trust in the LORD in 2021.

May our hope and our confidence come from Him and Him alone on this upcoming Inauguration Day.

And, may we never stop producing the kind of fruit that will last far beyond the kingdoms and political powers in place in 2021 and beyond.