Blog # 78 Attitude

Blog # 78 Attitude "Your attitude must be that of Christ." (Phil 2: 5 ). Nations, even so called Christian nations, seem to be unaware or forgetful there is an attitude of Jesus toward world problems and we should be seeking to make that attitude our own. So, too, many Christian believers seem to be unaware or forgetful there is an attitude of Jesus we should bring to all of our personal human experiences. We are to have the attitude of Jesus toward our family our Job good health or lack of it. There have been ages in the history of our Christian experience when believers decorated their homes and places of business with Christian symbols as reminders of the presence of God in all they did and as invitations to respond to God's presence regularly during the day. A favorite bible verse, framed beautifully and hanging in the bedroom, a rustic cross made into a wayside shrine, a picture in the den of Jesus blessing the children , or with His disciples at the Last Supper placed in the dining room could all serve as reminders there is an attitude of Jesus toward all that we do, and we are invited to discover that attitude and make it our own. But we have to face the facts. Here in modern America reminders like these are not frequent or forceful. Church buildings are numerous enough but our normal daily paths do not necessarily lead to them. We could however train ourselves to see in our church buildings reminders of the attitude Jesus wants us to have toward our world ourselves and those around us. On the other hand they are constant witnesses to the tragedy of the division of the community of believers in contradiction to the prayer of Jesus the night before He died that we all be one. Here in America we have so much both of food and clothing that we can get into the habit of taking it for granted. The only thing we need to make it all our own is money. When we enter a store to buy food, the only thing that might prevent us from buying any item there is money. We tend to overlook the fact we really need more and there is so much more available with no cost at all other than that we have the attitude of Jesus. We need sun rain earth people and God for every onion we see in a local grocery store. For every friendly letter we receive in the mail we need not just the paper on which it is written but the mail carrier, the paper manufacturer, trees, and many people other than our friend. To see this and understand it, to remind us of it, and to live it in praise and thanks to God we need the attitude of Jesus. Father, may the attitude of Jesus Your beloved Son ever be my attitude and the attitude of each one of my friends and neighbrs, always and everywhere, Amen !