The Danger of a Bad Attitude

 

Galatians 6:7-8(NLT)
“7 Don’t be misled, you cannot mock the justice of God.  You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Many of God’s children are plagued by the consequences of bad choices and decisions. Whether it’s getting involved with the wrong person, making poor financial decisions or the fallout from having a bad attitude, the wrong choices in life can set us back, but a bad attitude will keep us stuck. This one is a hard pill to swallow for many of God’s children, but it’s true. Galatians 6:7 tells us not to be deceived, because God is always on point and always on the case; He makes sure that whatever we sow, that’s what we’re going to reap. This means that whatever we put out there, it’s coming back to us. Rather than sowing a good crop by planting goodness into this earthly environment, a bad attitude causes us to cultivate a cycle of negative consequences. It can be a vicious negative cycle hurling back to us consequences that mirror the same bad attitude we put out there. We can stop this, and we should.

God commands us in Ephesians 4:31(NLT), “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.” God tells us to get rid of these heavies because they weigh us down and keep us from living the more than abundant life that Jesus Christ made available. Bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander are at the root of a bad attitude, and they come from our hearts.  

Proverbs 4:23-24(NLT) tells us, “23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 24 Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.” Most of us fail to gauge the magnitude of this wisdom. We fail to realize that with everything we do, think, and say, we are either adding or subtracting from the foundation of our lives. If we put it out there, there is no possible way that it’s not coming back to us. So, we need to be incredibly observant of how and what we express. God does not control our actions. He has given us free-will, and it is up to us to choose how we behave. He has empowered us with everything we need to guard our hearts, and it is our responsibility to make sure we get rid of the toxins that hold us back.

In Luke 6:38(NLT), Jesus Christ taught, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Jesus is instructing us about God’s law of giving and receiving. Giving begins a boomerang of goodness. This is the way God created the universe to function and there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it. When we give and pour into the lives of others with the love of Christ, that love is going to be returned to us, and it will be returned to us pressed down, shaken together, and running over; in other words, it will come back to us in greater proportion than it was given. Another truth that we must also know about this law is that it works the exact same way when we give out the bad stuff—like negative attitudes, slanderous and hurtful words, and malicious deeds. Just like the good stuff, the bad stuff will come back to us in greater quantity than it was initially given.

Relationships should be reciprocal in nature. As we love the person that is dear to us with the love of Christ in our hearts, they should be giving this back to us. However, sometimes there’s such a heavy accumulation of negativity that neither person gives the other a chance. The partners don’t know how to hit the pause button on toxic routines, and this means that neither are allowing Christ to lead and guide them. When a couple does not place Christ in his rightful place as head of the relationship, the two cannot be bonded in the unity of his peace and blessings.  

Jesus Christ commands us in 1Corinthians 11:1 to be imitators of his example. 1Peter 2:22 tells us that God called us for the purpose of doing good, even if it means we have to be uncomfortable, or that we can’t have the last word. God tells us that Christ is our example and we must follow in his steps. In Ephesians 5:25(NLT), He commands, “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.” God is commanding the husband to begin a loving cycle of giving and receiving by loving his wife just as Christ loves us all and gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins.

Admittedly, many men do not hold themselves to God’s standard. Often it is because they don’t know it. This is why it is so important to get God’s greenlight before we marry someone. If they don’t honor God through His standards and have a desire to create a loving relationship that is full of God’s peace, they could potentially reap havoc on your existence. Pray often and stay close to God when it comes to choosing the right person for your life. Pray and ask the Father for someone that has a loving attitude and make absolutely sure you have one yourself.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“The Danger of a Bad Attitude”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2022. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.