The ABC's of Living a Life Above Our Circumstances

Over the next few weeks we will explore the ABC's of Living a Life Above Our Circumstances, exploring powerful words, shaping our life.

Our first word--ATTITUDE. 

Viktor Frankl, a concentration camp survivor wrote:
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: To choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's way."  (http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/a/attitude.htm)



If you're like me you're thinking, "Oh ouch...here we go again! Do I still have MORE spiritual pruning to undergo?" The answer is yes, but only if we want to live a life above our circumstances! You see, we all want a life of comfort and ease, but, unfortunately, life is filled with disappointments, setbacks, and adversity. 

How we react to adversity determines

our outcome.

Our attitudes shape our decisions, effecting our results. And, as Viktor Frankl pointed out, NO ONE can take away how we choose to respond to any given set of circumstances, or choose our way! 

Philippians 2:5 commands us, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (NIV) Wow! Now that's a tall order! But one worthy of our further attention.

What was Jesus' attitude?

According to Philippians 2:6-8, Jesus humbled Himself. He completely abandoned Himself to the will of the Father. He left everything to fulfill God's purpose. In the garden He prayed, NOT MY WILL, but Yours be done! Ultimately, He endured great affliction, all for the sake of God's plan!

The result? (Philippians 2:9-11) "God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (NIV)

Friends, we may endure seasons of great pain, but our suffering produces life! Our attitude should reflect Christ's, abandoning ourselves to God's mission, commiting to do all He has commanded, while remaining confident God fulfills all His promises. We must live for the will of God; 1 Peter 4:1-2 reminds us, "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." (NIV)

Circumstances can't deter our hope, only our attitude about our circumstances hold such power.

So, when adversity strikes, we have a choice: We can meander through fruitless contemplations of "why me?" or stand confident knowing God works all things together for our good... remembering through Him we can DO ALL THINGS!

Our life is NOT our own...we exist for Him. And through Him, we live and move and have our being! Therefore, as Ephesians 4:22-24 reminds us let us put off our "former way of life," and "to put off" our "old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; and be "made new in the attitude of" our "minds"; and "put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (NIV)

If we want to live above our circumstances, we have to submit our attitude to God, filling our mind with the truth from His word, remembering "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!"

PRAYER: Father, we need a fresh touch from you. It is such a delicate balance between surrender and giving up hope. Hold us close. Never let us go. We submit our attitudes to You. We declare that we will serve YOU NO MATTER THE COST confident YOU WILL FULFILL ALL YOUR PROMISES! Be the Lord of our lives we pray, and may we bring YOU glory and honor, in Jesus name, amen!