The Secret Sauce
By Dr. Mark Byrd
As a teenager I often wondered outloud what determined how successful someone was in their chosen profession. It certainly appeared that some people were born with more advantages. That is, after all, spot on correct.
However, just because a person was born into a prominent family is no guarantee they will be successful & a contributing member of society.
What is the key to determining how successful a person will be? Is there a secret sauce? YES! The X-factor is your “Attifude!” Can it really be that simple? Absolutely! The success & enjoyment of your life is determined in large part due to the attitude you choose when life does not turn out like you planned.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:45… “He causes his sun to rise on the evil & good, and sends rain on the righteous & the unrighteous.” We live in a sin stained world! Regardless of the families we were born into, bad things will visit the home of the good and godly. We have no control over these circumstances. We do have control over how we respond. We get to choose our attitude! Paul said in Philippians 2:5, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”
Do you need help seeing how important your attitude is when dealing with life’s challenges? My all time favorite quote regarding your attitude is written by Dr. Chuck Swindoll:
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company… a church…a home. The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.”
Read it very slow!
The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
Everytime I read that I thank God we get to “choose our attitude”!
Of course, there is a an alternate option. We can adopt a negative, ‘why me?’ attitude. The end result is that you will end up buried by your circumstances!
Remember, at times, life will be difficult for everyone. Why? It’s supposed to be. It’s earth, not heaven! God’s ultimate goal for your life is not comfort but character development! If we forget character developement is God’s purpose for our life, then we will become frustrated by our circumstances!
Do you really want to be successful in the eyes of the Lord? Make sure your attitude is Christ-honoring. Remember your attitude determines your altitude! How high are you flying?
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