Attitude Determines Your Altitude...

The economy is in shambles. People are losing their jobs. The polar ice cap is melting. Everybody hates us. Dogs and cats are living together (okay, I made that one up, but nothing like a Bill Murray line to give you a little perspective). If you take your tips from the media, then you are probably just a few remote control clicks away from putting a gun to your head.

So don't. Don't put a gun to your head and don't take your tips from the media. First of all, I think a lot of it is political strategy. I will pray for and support our President when I can, but I get the sense that a lot of the gloom and doom is posturing by the party that has the power in Washington right now. The worse they can make things seem, the more credit they can take when ANY form of progress is made. And the more they can claim they are justified to do some dangerous things (like saddle our kids with billions of dollars in debt). We might not like it, but that's just how politics work my friends.

Second, remember that the media tends to have a short memory. I saw the other day where every recession we have experienced tends to last about eighteen months. We aren't even six months into this one, so I think that a lot of the pessimism and gloom is overreacting. We may indeed be facing one of the worst ecomomic crises in our history, but it's irresponsible to call it that until you have the benefit of seeing the big picture.

None of that really matters for my point this morning anyway. I believe that your attitude determines your altitude. You will rise to the level that your attitude takes you today. If the world forms your attitude, get ready to crash and burn. But as believers we have the Holy Spirit that can give us the mind of Christ. We can develop an attitude that will take us to a much higher level.

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:14 (ESV)

God's goal for your life is higher and better than the things of this world. Your call is an UPWARD call, not a downward one. Don't be pulled down by the negative thinking of those around you. Be careful about what you're listening to. Look up!