John 14:27—Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
Circumstances control you only if you let them!
Jesus refused to let the circumstances control His attitude. He did not utter the words of John 14:27 from an ivory tower in some Shangri La. He said it to His disciples the night before He was to be crucified by the Romans.
Jesus refused to let the circumstances control His attitude!
When Paul and Silas were in prison at Philippi, they sang at midnight. When the circumstances were at their worst, they were at their best. What did God do in response? He sent a squadron of angels who shook the jail off its foundations with an earthquake. Paul walked out of there with the jailhouse keys in one hand and a new convert in the other—because he refused to be mastered by his circumstances.
Most people wait for their circumstances to change before they’re willing to change their attitudes. The husband says, “I’ll change when my wife changes.” The wife says, “I’ll change when my husband changes.” Standoff! Besides, they haven’t learned that trying to change another person is as futile as trying to blow out a light bulb.
We want to change husbands, wives, colleges, churches, business ventures and professional goals, before we are willing to think about first changing our own attitude. If we will exercise man’s final freedom, the freedom to determine what our attitudes will be in any given situation, many of our problems will simply vanish.
Our attitudes toward others determine their attitudes toward us. If we adopt a negative, faultfinding attitude, of course no one wants to be around us.
A doctor told his patient, “Ma’am, the dog that bit you had rabies, and I’m afraid you’ve waited too long for rabies shots to be of any help. It’s time for you to make out a will.”
May I borrow a pen and some paper?” asked the woman calmly. She began writing—and didn’t stop for over an hour.
That’s the longest will I’ve ever seen,” the doctor said.
“It’s not a will,” the woman replied. “It’s a list of all the people I’m going to bite when I get out of here.”
Some people make others happy when they arrive. Others make them happy when they leave. Which are you?
Source: Being Happy in an Unhappy World
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