Should Anything Limit Striving for Accountability?

Do you think the word excellence has lost its appeal today as it applies to employment, education, morality, and ethics? Does excellence today identify what is only partially good and acceptable? Initially, loving God meant loving him without flaws.

When asked by his detractors, “What is the greatest commandment God gave us?” Jesus responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Accountability is dependent on striving for excellence regardless of  your limitations. Galatians 5:22-23 offers encouragement: “For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These attributes empower you to strive for the highest standard that pleases God while enriching your soul.

So be receptive as the Holy Spirit performs his transforming work in you.                   

__________ 

In a race, everyone runs but only one person gets first prize. So run your race to win. To win the contest, you must deny yourself many things that would keep you from doing your best. 

~1 Corinthians 9: 24-25a 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. 

Are There Limits to Our Accountability?

Accepting accountability evolves and changes, which in turn presents a continuous challenge on how to cope with problems that must be faced. Actually, we try to keep problems suppressed until a crisis or stressful event threatens exposure.

At this point self-regulation, or the ability to manage your emotions, behavior and speech, may be pushed to a breaking point. You are aware of unhealthy coping strategies that are triggered by unexpected changes. Healthy self-regulation demands self-control.

Accountability is being aware that every decision has a reality factor and you are responsible for that reality. Self-regulation made strong by God’s presence is a powerful coping strategy. Remember, God cares of his people, so he makes certain you know he is by your side. 

These are  wonderful words of encouragement and help. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!        

_________ 

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.

~Proverbs 25:28 New International Version

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

~Galatians 5:22-23 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.

Do Personal Weaknesses Dominate Your Life?

A vicious circle is comparable to being stuck in a pattern of thinking and acting that produces negative results. When a threat arises to our well-being, the initial response is usually fear that may quickly transform into anger.

After an angry outburst, anxiety is prompted by the realization that emotional damage has taken place, made evident by the withdrawal of those subject to the angry outburst. Understanding the power of a vicious circle can be the beginning of healthy; productive change.

Anxiety is often followed by sadness, fostered by emotional and physical damage inflicted on yourself, another person, or a relationship. A vicious circle reflects a lack of self-control. Healing the damage caused by vicious circles begins by gaining and maintaining self-control. 

Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, made possible by loving God and surrendering everything to him.                     

_________ 

You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name.

~John 15:16 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. 

New Year Plans: How Can You Exhibit Your Best Personality Traits?

For many people, celebrating Christmas will be extended for several days simply because family and friends continue to make contact to express their love and appreciation. Exchanging gifts is just one way to demonstrate appreciation and happiness. Making an effort to be physically present validates the strength of our love for others.

Coming together tests the positive and negative strength of attachments. Whether you are the invited guest or serving as host for others, there are always underlying expectations that must be acknowledged and adhered to if stress and potential conflict are to be kept to a minimum.

To make the best of a holiday visit, always exhibit your best personality traits the Lord God endowed you with at conception. Believe you can action yourself into a new way of feeling as you demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, like love, joy and patience. God bestows these on you so you can be a blessing to others.   

      

____________ 

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. …And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

~Colossians 3:12,14 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. 

God's Christmas Gift: Reconciliation

Isn’t it wonderful that Jesus is the Prince of Peace?  Think about this verse as you celebrate his birth on this Christmas Day: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Thanks be to God, for he refuses to keep a record of our offenses against us, but committed to us the wonderful ministry of reconciliation.”  

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, gives you his gift of peace, and through that gift of peace you become eligible to receive his gifts of love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. So count yourself most fortunate and privileged. Merry Christmas and God bless you!   

__________ 

The angel reassured them, “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “ I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

~Luke 2:10-14 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.

________________________________

From Wednesday, December 21 through Christmas Day, blogs have been posted each day to coincide with KHCB radio's special music and short devotional programming, "Five Days of Christmas". 

Pathway to Patience

God's word describes patience as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. A Fruit of the Spirit is a character trait or a virtue at work in us to produce good works. When we determine to walk with God, to know and love him, then the Holy Spirit produces in us patience as well as other godly virtues.

It appears that Samson lacked the virtue of patience, so changing his response to problems created by his passions and pride seemed unlikely. Patience builds up character and stifles anger, while subduing pride. Samson did not desire to wait on the Lord for guidance and direction but acted impulsively, plunging headlong into behaviors prompted by his passions.

Passion and pride have little tolerance for patience, which is indicative of a reluctance to permit the Holy Spirit to change us. Wisdom is required for insight, and God is willing give us wisdom when we sincerely seek it. Wisdom is the pathway to patience, so ask God to give you wisdom which provides tolerance for controlling impulsivity.  

______________________ 

We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding…We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy.

~Colossians 1:9,11 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.

Mercy - Freely Give, Freely Receive

It's normal to long for happiness, especially when it appears fleeting. Sadly we've come to believe that happiness can be bought like furniture or an education. George Bernard Shaw wrote, "We have no more right to devour happiness without creating it for others than we do to consume wealth without working for it."

Philosophers have a proclivity for giving each generation a badge of distinction. Some carry a stigma of being self-absorbed and incapable of producing happiness for anyone. How then is happiness created? God’s word suggests happiness comes by demonstrating love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Jesus gave this prescription for happiness: "Blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy."  The Old Testament prophet Micah asked  a pertinent question that relates to happiness. “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly and to love mercy, and walk humbly before the Lord your God?” Good prescription. Why not make it your commitment? 

______________________

Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be merciful to them!

~Matthew 5:7 Good News Bible

In every way I showed you that by working hard as I do, we should help the weak and remember what our Lord Jesus said: “We are happier when we give than when we get something.”

~Acts 20:35 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today

Gaining Internal Control

One fruit of the Spirit the apostle Paul listed in Galatians 5:22-23 is self-control. Everyone struggles with self-control in some area of life ranging from an insatiable appetite to unwanted thoughts. Self-regulating is one of the most difficult battles Christians struggle with, for this issue sheds light on unresolved internal conflicts within each person.

Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to help us with our infirmities and weaknesses. This does not mean he will remove them but will help us gain control over their power to hold us captive. One internal conflict is the impulse to give in rather than sustain a strong, vigilant battle against what plagues us.

God promises that “no temptation will seize you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will provide a way out so that you can stand against it and retain the joy of your salvation.”  

______________________

It is an agonizing situation, and who can set me free from the prison of this mortal body? I thank God there is a way out through Jesus Christ our Lord.

~Romans 7:24-25 Phillips – The New Testament in Modern English

Create Jealousy: Mission Accomplished

The fact that jealousy distorts reality is well known by those whose objective is to make others feel its pain. A woman confided to her friend, “If I want my husband to get in line, all I have to do is make him jealous.” Deliberately creating jealousy is dishonest and seldom achieves a worthy goal. Deliberately creating jealousy is also sinful.

 

There’s always danger of going too far in creating jealousy. Anyone deliberately made to feel jealous will know the pain of abandonment and distrust. Distrust eventually causes love to diminish and lose its power to control. Eventually jealousy leads to revenge and permanent withdrawal from a relationship; then grief comes to all involved.

A college student recounted how she lost her boyfriend when she made him feel jealous. "All I wanted to do was make sure he loved me. Now he will not let me apologize or forgive me." Jealousy is not kind, gentle or patient. It is not filled with joy, long-suffering or self-control, but God’s love and true love include all of these.