1 Corinthians 16:1-24

How do we do everything in love?  Two words come to mind when pondering this question; motive and attitude.  Dictionary.com defines these two words this way.  

Motive is something that causes me to act in a certain way, do a certain thing.
Attitude is manner, disposition, feeling, position, with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind: a negative attitude.

We might hear a child say, "It was an accident, I didn't mean to do it."  Sometimes when speaking to God we say the same thing. Our conscience may be convicting us of a wrong doing, and a prompting to make amends pushes us to act with a contrite heart.  When my heart is in the right place and my motives pure, but my actions didn't live up to my intentions.

There was a time when my attitude was not the best, I would allow some one else's actions affect my attitude for the day.  For example, if I were cut off in traffic and experienced a close call, that action could make me crabby the rest of the day.  Getting off on the wrong foot would make look at the day as a lost cause and it had barely begun.

Paul is teaching us to be on our guard, to stay close to Jesus.  My motives and my attitude change when I stand firm each day.  Sensing a closeness to Jesus give me a new and fresh faith every day, it gives me courage and strength I didn't know was possible.  I not only can do everything in love - I want to.  This sounds awfully simple, and it is.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love."
(1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

Read the 1 Corinthians 16:1-24 text here.  Listen to an audio reading of 1 Corinthians 16:1-24 here.

Attitude Is Everything, 1 Peter 4

My dad is a Marine. Growing up I was often confused by his attitude on life. He never seemed afraid or intimidated; he didn’t know a stranger or care what other people thought of him. My response to his seemed indifference was embarrassment. Today I see things differently. I recognize my father’s actions as confidence, which he learned in the Corp.

1 Peter 4 reminds me of my father, “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.” I love the phrase, arm yourselves with the same attitude. Before my son was one, my dad sent him a Marine Corp T-shirt sporting the phrase, Attitude is everything.

As a Christian, life should not be easy, we ought to live so different from the world that we stick out. If we truly are living holy, we’ll need our attitude to keep focused. 1 Peter states, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ…” We should actually be surprised if we are not suffering. In the same way I didn’t understand my father, the world will not understand us.

1 Peter calls us to find hope in our suffering, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” Do you need to be accepted by God, or by the world?  If your choice is God, attitude is everything.

Read today's entire scripture on Biblegateway 1 Peter 4