How Can Vicious Circles Be Overcome?

Someone noted that at the core of frustration is thinking, doing, or saying the same thing over and over expecting different results. This identifies a vicious circle. It’s comparable to a parent telling a child to do a specific task several times but without compliance.

As the parent bursts into angry threats, the child might comply. Then the parent feels guilty and helps the child do the task or entirely overlooks it. Parental patience can be interpreted as a lack of authority, which gives birth to vicious circles.

It’s important to structure patience with rules that are clearly understood and enforceable. Setting precise boundaries is the key to mastering self-control. 1 Peter 4:7 speaks to the issue: “Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” Did you know that self-control is a prerequisite for praying? The power of prayer makes it possible to avoid conflict and overcome unproductive vicious circles. 

________ 

Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you, seek and keep on seeking and you will find, knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. 

~Matthew 7:7 Amplified Bible 

Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

~James 5:16 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 Value Is There in Confessing Irresponsibility?

I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the youngster who came to class empty-handed proclaiming, “My dog ate my homework.” A teacher might excuse a student once for concocting such a story, but if procrastination is the issue, then blaming the dog will cease to be acceptable.

Why is it so difficult to own up to procrastination and say, “Yes it’s my fault. I put off finishing the task until it was too late to finish. This is a bad habit.” Confessing to a fault is painful, and courage is required to be honest, but taking ownership to procrastinating is necessary for change.

God’s word assures us that confession of irresponsibility is what God honors. Listen to James 5:16: “Admit your faults and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Pray for courage to be the kind of person who is honest in all things.          

__________ 

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

~2 Peter 1:5-7 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 Causes Resentment to Lose its Power?

There are wonderful passions that have driven men and women to pursue goals that benefit the world for generations. Thomas Edison’s passion to harness electricity has had an immeasurable impact on every area of human existence. Think what an inconvenience it would be without a cell phone, television, or a computer.

Passion is defined as an intense emotion similar to love, joy, hatred, anger, and resentment. Frederick Nietzsche, the German philosopher, observed, “Nothing on earth consumes a man more quickly than the passion of resentment.” When we choose to be angry, resentment is born.

Resentment is a negative attitude or reaction leveled against someone who deliberately hurt or wounded you. Resentment is anger inflated to the level of bitterness. God never intended for us to permit resentment to become so intrusive. Imagine how God feels about it. Now give it to him continuously, deliberately, until it loses its power. Begin to do it now.  

___________ 

Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

~James 5:16 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 Makes an Apology Sincere?

  An apology is an overt act of expressing regret and sorrow for a behavior that resulted in pain and suffering for another person. An apology must display remorse and repentance. Listen to Philippians 2:3: “Don’t be selfish, but rather be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.”

Selfish ambition blocks an apology from reaching a positive outcome because the best interest of the offended person is missing. For instance if an apology is just to stave off guilt, then restoration will be incomplete. If a victim views an apology as insincere, then hope for a relationship to be restored is lost.

A sincere apology is offered for the good of the offended person. Most people are humble enough to respond graciously when an apology is offered, for it takes humility for an offense to be forgiven. If you are reluctant to be humble, remember Jesus humbled himself and died on the cross just for you.  

___________ 

“God opposes everyone who is proud, but he is kind to everyone who is humble.” 

~James 4: 6 Contemporary English Version    

 Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.  

~Ephesians 4:2 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.

Why Does God Permit Unhappiness?

Why God permits unhappiness to exist is a question that has been continuously asked because it intrudes into everyone’s peace of mind. A persistent cause of unhappiness is failure to live up to expectations. Failure is often unavoidable, for it’s impossible to succeed in every endeavor.

When children fail to live up to their potential, disappointment can last indefinitely without parental intervention and encouragement. It’s easy to rally around success, but helping children grieve through failure and loss is difficult, but possible. Helping them reach their potential is a God-given responsibility.

While God permits unhappiness to exist, he does not create it. If we  honestly, with God’s help, examine our lives, we will discover behaviors and mindsets responsible for our failures and unhappiness. James 5:16 tells us to confess our sins and failures to one another, for confession frees the soul and spirit to be healed by God.  

____________ 

[The Lord] heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].

~Psalm 147:3 Amplified Bible

_____________

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

Bridging a Communication Gap

I'm sure you've noticed that the more we acquire, the less time there is to enjoy loved ones and our possessions. The subtle loss of closeness should matter more than things we've acquired. Our tendency is to plod through life marginally in touch with ourselves and family, which invariably leads to a lapse in communication and intimacy.

Where there is a communication gap, negative thoughts and feelings tend to get a foothold. Anger surfaces over the infringement of rules and boundary. Fear reaches for a chokehold when our influence is threatened. The worst problem with the gravest consequence is the emotional distance these powerful emotions create.

Caring enough to communicate can be revived even after years of intimacy deprivation. Getting to know what’s important to each other is crucial to reconnecting. God approached Adam and Eve with love and patience. He challenged them onward to what was possible currently and in the future. The Lord God gives us the same challenge. 

________________ 

For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but a spirit of power and love and a sound mind.

~2 Timothy 1:7 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

Therefore confess your sins, your offenses, to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous believer can accomplish much when put into action and made effective by God – it is dynamic and can have tremendous power.

~ James 5:16  Amplified Bible

________________

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

Broken Hearts Need Healing

Conflict seldom volunteers to go away on its own. Denial of conflict’s existence might ease the anxiety it creates, but denial isn’t an effective tool for successfully managing it. Denial is a defense for those who refuse to seek a resolution. An impasse is a cautious peace capable of erupting at the slightest provocation.

Paul and Barnabas, God's most dedicated missionaries became so embroiled in conflict, they parted ways. They could no longer work together. John Mark, the subject of their conflict, had deserted them and returned to his home. When he wanted to come back, Paul argued with Barnabas about this being advisable.

Their argument became so intense that Paul decided to go on alone. This example epitomizes how conflict builds a bridge to alienation and separation. Resolutions become possible when there are admissions of being mistaken. Paul came to this conclusion and asked John Mark to reunite with his ministry. What does this say to you? 

_______________________

Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is a good help to me in my work.

~2 Timothy 4:11 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today

Make this your common practice: confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

~James 5:16 The Message

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Become mature, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

~2 Corinthians 13:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible

Want to Reconcile? Don't Resist Repenting

Forgiveness is a demonstration of kindness that portrays turning away from bitterness to an attitude of repentance and reconciliation. Yet there's something about human nature that resists taking the initiative to be repentant and forgiving. Recognizing and overriding that resistance must be addressed, however, if forgiveness is to be successful.

When a Christian chooses sin over fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, a barrier to communion evolves. If fellowship is to be restored, an attitude of repentance and confession must be a priority. We may concede that repentance is necessary for reconciliation with God but hesitate or refuse to concede that it’s a vital step to reconciliation with people.

If forgiveness is to be successful, sincere feelings of remorse must be felt for having caused pain and suffering. Repentance, prompted by feelings of remorse, encourages the seeker of forgiveness to discontinue behaviors that caused suffering and pain. To do so is saying yes to the Holy Spirit and is a choice for healing a broken relationship.  

______________________

Now you must turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that your souls may know the times of refreshment which come from the presence of the Lord.

~Acts 3:19 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results.

~James 5:16 The Living Bible

Chasing the Winds of Jealousy and Envy

The pursuit of jealousy’s demands is comparable to chasing the wind. Can you imagine someone chasing the wind, trying to capture it for some emotional purpose? Solomon observed that "all labor and all achievements spring from man's jealousy of his neighbors." He added, “This is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” 

Rachel's jealousy pushed her to outdo her sister, win at any cost, even destroying the bond of love that may have existed. Jealousy moves in progressive steps, spiraling ever upward, gaining intensity and power over rational and sensible thinking. When jealousy spirals into rage, turning back may become impossible.

It's critical to get immediate control of jealousy. Jealousy can be managed, so never let the sun go down harboring it in your thoughts and feelings. Acknowledge its presence and root by confessing it, then repent and turn away from it. Seek forgiveness by turning it over to God. He will heal you of this sickness.