"Add" itude Check

OK, so today is a pretty stressful day. I am at work with piles of stuff around that I can't seem to get to and I am getting frustrated. My attitude is not quite where it needs to be. And I go to the doctor and get what could be some not so great news-but could be fine-we'll see in 6 weeks. Meanwhile, I am lecturing a friend on his attitude and all the while, Hello? Get the plank out of your own eye, Stephanie. My attitude has been bad today. And the worst part? How much of my bad attitude did I "add"? I am paranoid, pouty, worrying about scenarios that might not even happen, yet they are affecting my attitude. How much of my mood is because I filled my own head full of stuff that I don't need to think about? I reminded my friend, and myself in the process, that people are watching. I am a Christian, and not only is it a duty, but it is a great opportunity to show people that the love of Christ is enough to sustain me-even in the tough times. I know that when I worry, it saddens God because in essence I am saying that I don't trust Him. How guilty does that make me feel? If He were looking at me with His hands out saying, "Don't you trust me?" I would be like that cartoon dog nodding my head up and down as fast as I could with my eyes wide open... "Of course, Lord! Yes, I trust You." Buy why is it so hard to make that attitude come to the forefront when you are burried in your own thoughts? Umm...let's see...because you are burried in YOUR OWN thoughts? We can't always see His answers. And we don't always understand, but sometimes it's because we have added so many of our own ideas of how WE need to handle it, that we can't get clear direction. Meanwhile, Satan gets into our heads and begins to manipulate. Pretty soon, our families, our friends and our coworkers see a grumbling, groaning, seemingly hopeless person who is NO reflection of God and all the glories He bestowes upon us.

1 Peter 5:6-9 says, "6.Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, 7.casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you. 8.Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9.Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your brothers in the world."

That's not to say we won't ever naturally feel down, confused or disappointed. We ALL have problems, and we ALL suffer. But it's our attitude that shows the rest of the world if we truly trust God, or if the Devil just won. Even for the day. One bad attitude is a missed opportunity to show God's faithfulness. I am going to try and get my "add" itude in check for tomorrow!