How IS Fear Related to Anger and Hostility?

Success is a prize for which both men and women strive, as if in search of a valuable treasure. Being blessed with a career, a home, a spouse and children who love and respect each other are the highest mark of success. One issue is encountering others with equal ambitions competing for the same success.

One surprise women experience in ascending the steps to success is the hostility directed toward them, if not directly then subtly, by men who fear they might lose their position to a woman. Another surprise is the hostility directed toward them by other women competitors.

Hostility is not new. It exists in all areas of life simply because fear is impossible to avoid. A solution to hostility is believing you are where God has placed you. 

Remember, everything eventually will be turned over to others, but in the meantime it’s important to be the person God created you to be.  

__________  

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.

~Deuteronomy 31:8 New International Version

__________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week. 

How Do Individuals Cope with Current Gender Delineation?

In the history of literature, there are an abundance of fantasies about men rescuing women. Boys have come of age believing their role is to save women, however a particular situation is defined. Today, however, most men and women will encounter situations where help is appreciated.

The majority of women who are in the workplace or at home today do not need or want be rescued. Women want to be appreciated and respected for their intellect, skills, and hard work. Yet in the current workplace men and women often face tremendous stress relating to each other as equals.

Gender delineations were once clearly distinguishable but are now slightly blurred. So where does God fit in with people who must adapt to change? It's imperative to keep in mind that God loves his world and will not permit it to evolve into chaos. God never forgets his plans for you, and his plans are always good and above evil. 

__________

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

~Isaiah 55:8-9 New International Version

__________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

What Is Needed to Establish Feelings of Security?

What makes men and women feel secure will differ, depending on their age and circumstances, their personality and temperament, as well as what has been learned from childhood onward. The opposite of feeling secure is feeling vulnerable and unprotected, which tends to create anxiety.

Feelings of insecurity can be conquered by not allowing fear to dominate your life. So face the reality of your situation rather than permit your imagination to create ways to avoid taking positive action. Fear must  be subdued, or else it will take control of your thoughts and behavior.

When God told Abraham to move to where he would show him, he encountered obstacles and uncertainty that threatened his commitment to God. After it happened he acknowledged his failure and returned to God’s guidance and the faith God provided. Whatever you’re facing at this moment, believe God will empower you to stay within his boundaries and plans for you. 

                 

_________ 

[Jesus said,] “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

~John 10:28-30 New International Version

_________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

What Comfort Does Faith Provide in Uncertain Times?

Whenever the issue of discovering one’s place in life surfaces, it’s directly related to finding happiness and contentment. While a career brings notable fulfillment for both men and women, there remains a deep-seated longing to share one’s life with a spouse and children.

This need is for authentic relationships with a spouse and children, and also with the extended family and friends, which should not be ignored. Loneliness or even despair gravitates into the emptiness of life. Another important need is for spiritual fulfillment that can  be satisfied only in relationship with Jesus Christ.

God was not willing for Abraham to stay in one place. Abraham faced great uncertainties at times, so God gave him this promise: “Don’t be afraid, for I am your shield; I am your great reward.” 

Having Jesus Christ to love and trust as you go forward brings confidence, hope, and certainty.          

__________ 

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, “The righteous will live by faith.”  

~Romans I:17 New International Version

__________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

How Does Being Faithful to God Insure His Blessings?

Is it more difficult today for men to find their place in life than at any other time in history? My father was born in 1907 to a farming family. He saw only one option for himself as a young man, and that was to farm the land where he grew up. He later worked as a craftsman in an aircraft factory.

With so many options available today, it would appear that finding a career could be done with ease. Two generations ago if a man was fortunate enough to find a good job, it meant security until retirement. With mega-mergers and outsourcing, job security diminished for both men and women.

When Abraham was 75 years old, God told him to move to a new place. He, his wife, and nephew went in search of God’s promise. Hebrews 11 tells us Abraham believed God would keep his promise, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

Being faithful to God insures his blessings.  

__________ 

Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise.

~Hebrews 10:23 Good News Bible

__________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

How Does Integrity Determine Success?

Integrity is a critical component of character that each person should guard like protecting a valuable treasure. As women gain relevant roles in business, politics, and education, integrity often determines the success of this transition. Dignity is another character trait that highlights self-respect and self-worth.

Dignity and integrity are positive attributes where men and women respect the intelligence, expertise, and hard work of each other. It is possible to get beyond the gender issue where there is the capacity to accept that both men and women are created by God but with special differences.

Self-respect hinges on being responsible for what God has entrusted to you, and this is where integrity and dignity play crucial roles. If another person’s gain is perceived as your personal loss, then anger and sadness will surface to create grief. 

Rather than longing for what has been lost, rejoice in what God has given you.                           

_________ 

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

~Proverbs 11:3 Revised Standard Version

_________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

Can Grief Be Acknowledged in an Ever-changing World?

 As women discover equal opportunity, men consequentially are forced to adjust their expectations at work and in the home by relinquishing a measure of control and dominance. Men must permit themselves to grieve in ways that promote healing and acceptance.

There isn’t an exact prescription for men or women to follow when grieving, for it varies according to personality and what has been learned about expressing personal feelings. Over time minor losses accumulate to become major emotional issues equated to divorce or the death of a loved one.

Major and minor changes occur that affect one’s identity and status, resulting in anger and fear, which are features of grief. Longing for what is been lost is also an attribute of grief. Psalm 143:6 cries out to God: “My spirit faints with longing.” The plea is for God to provide hope and security in an ever-changing world.                      

_________ 

When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, with your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal – don’t quit on me now.

~Psalm 138:7-8 The Message

_________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week. 

How Are Integrity and Dignity Related to Grief?

Is significant change possible without the loss of integrity and dignity? The answer is yes. Yet some changes do tear at the fabric of what life hinges on. Some people perceive change as diminishing their power, status and prestige, from which recovery seems impossible.

Any loss that creates grief has to be processed. Women and men grieve differently. Women traditionally have permission to show their emotions without shame or ridicule, except in a professional setting. Men have not had freedom to openly grieve with dignity and integrity.

So much of expressed anger and hostility by both men and women is unexpressed grief, related to what has been lost. The Psalmist declares in Psalm 119 that his “soul is consumed with longing for what can no longer be possessed.” Believe the Lord God provides integrity and dignity as you open your heart to his mercy.                              

__________ 

Thank you for your love; thank you for your faithfulness. Most holy is your name; most holy is your Word. The moment I called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength.

~Psalm 138:2-3 The Message

__________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week. 

Can You Live with the Changes Society Demands?

The reality of role reversal is an issue with which society must comply out of necessity. It’s not uncommon for a husband to stay at home with children while his wife goes to work because she commands a higher income. They believe one parent should care for their children rather than leave them in daycare.

Some men are choosing to be nurses while some women are choosing to be doctors. These changes are met with acceptance, for society basically respects these changes instead of viewing them as unacceptable. Changes made with integrity and dignity enhance self-respect and self-worth.

New opportunities become available as society changes. Listen to God’s word: “Be alert, I am about to do something new. It’s bursting out, don’t you see it? I’m making a way through the wilderness and will provide for you there.”

So open your heart and mind to be sure you are following God's plan. 

__________ 

I will instruct you, says the Lord, and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress.

~Psalm 32:8 The Living Bible

__________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week. 

What Is Learned by Submitting to Challenges?

Challenges always coexist with varying degrees of frustration relative to the intensity of the challenge. In every stage of life frustration plays a major role. Adults are challenged today by changing roles they must master or be left behind.

Women are challenged to obtain and succeed in positions once held by men. Each year more women are accepted at medical schools than are men, and women professors at those schools continue to grow. This trend provides cause for women to celebrate.

If every challenge is accompanied by frustration, how are men responding to the challenge of sharing power with women who desire to use the talents God gave them. Challenges can be greeted with fear or seen as opportunities to grow into the person God intended. 

God intended for both men and women to be receptive to mastering new roles for the purpose of serving him and each other.                      

___________ 

If you wander off the road to the right or left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road: Follow it.”

~Isaiah 30:21 Good News Bible

 

Jesus said, “I am the Road [or the Way], also the Truth and the Life.”

~John 14:6 The Message

___________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week. 

What's the Cost for Failing to Comply with God's Purpose?

In the beginning of public education, men held the position of teacher, first for boys and then for girls. As women were accepted into higher levels of education they gradually replaced men as public school teachers. Positions in administration and athletics would come later.

How are men responding to the challenge of women being their employers, supervisors, and colleagues? A world without challenge will never exist, for challenge brought civilization into existence. God’s on-going challenge to men and women today is, “Be fruitful and increase in numbers. Fill the earth and subdue it.” 

Failure to comply with God’s plan eventually creates a breakdown of the ability to function in ways that are blessed by him. The challenge men and women face is to respond to the opportunities God provides. 

God is at work in his world to bring to fruition his goodness and plans.                           

___________ 

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!  

~Isaiah 26:3 New Living Translation

___________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

Is It Possible to Fulfill God's Purpose for You?

Teenagers push for increasing independence in our society, for it’s a normal step in moving toward adulthood. There continues to be a strong drive by women to seek more independence from their traditional roles and identity. Women now contribute their intellectual, social, and leadership skills in most career fields.

With every change there’s a trickle-down effect for the rest of society. The role of men in response to women competing for power and position is an example of the trickle-down effect. Another is that most fathers want their daughters to succeed to the place that best accommodates their intelligence and goals.

However, there continues to be some prejudice against women in leadership roles. God, the creator of intelligence and aptitude, has a purpose for each person willing to move faithfully toward fulfilling his purpose. 

Participating in what God is doing creates peace and joy that cannot be overcome.                                

_________ 

Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

~Romans 12:2 New International Version Bible

_________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

God Intended for There to Be Change – Can You Comply?

The mother of a teenage daughter lamented how the social rules have changed since she was an adolescent. Women can now compete for positions in any career field and have proven to be worthy contenders. That a woman would run for president was unthinkable just two generations ago.

When a significant part of society changes, it forces the rest of society to realign itself. It’s analogous to systems theory, which implies if part of a system changes, the complete system is affected. So as women’s issues experience broad-spectrum change, men’s issues are modified accordingly.

The consolation for these changes is that God intended for there to be change, and with his guidance and wisdom there can be honor, integrity, mutual love and respect as God’s plans become apparent. Psalm 138:8 assures, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; His steadfast love endures forever.”             

__________ 

You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. Let the Holy Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy. 

~Ephesians 4:22-24 Contemporary English Version

__________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

Can You Be Ready for the New Year?

The world is changing in subtle and often dramatic ways. It’s a reality we face or have forced upon us. Change can be perceived as an opportunity to grow into the person God intended. If change is perceived as a part of God’s plan, it’s possible to be receptive to his blessings.

When people close their eyes and ears to what is unsettling or not clearly defined, they are still subject to whatever is taking place. Failure to face the social, political, and spiritual issues of our time can pave the way for future significant trouble.

Inherent in human nature is the struggle to maintain equilibrium in the face of change. However, change without sacrifice is not possible. God is the creator of change, as demonstrated by sending Jesus into the world to save it. This day marks the beginning of a new year, so Happy New Year! 

May you be richly blessed day by day with the changes you will encounter.                              

_________ 

Base your happiness on your hope in Christ [Jesus]. When trials come, endure them patiently and maintain the habit of prayer.

~Romans 12:12 Phillips – New Testament In Modern English

_________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.