What and Whom Do You Trust When Confronting Trouble?

There are two basic types of trouble: those that are common for everyone and those brought on by a negative attitude or bad choices. Saul, who was Israel’s first king, demonstrated a bad attitude and poor choices in 1 Samuel 18 after David killed Goliath, which humiliated Saul.

Rather than accepting David as a hero, Saul became jealous and feared losing the people’s support. Saul’s suspicion made it impossible for him to trust that God’s intentions for David were only for good. Lack of trust is a precursor to jealousy and fear.

When trust is absent, trouble can be overwhelming. For David, trust and faith in God was a given for the troubles he faced. Listen to Psalm 22: “It was you, Lord, who brought me safely out of my mother’s womb … From the day I was born, you have been my God.” Trusting God is a choice, so decide now, at this moment, to trust him.

_________

Share each other’s troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command.

~Galatians 6:2 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.

How Does Intense Anger Interfere with Hearing?

Can you imagine being so angry that it’s impossible to listen to reason or do what is appropriate? Jonah, the Old Testament prophet, became angry with God for not destroying the wicked city of Nineveh. He mistakenly believed God loved Nineveh and hated him, which prevented him from receiving God’s blessing and reward.

When the people of Nineveh repented, they were given a new perspective on the meaning of life. That’s what the Prodigal Son experienced in a filthy pigpen. He realized that his mistakes and bad choices were responsible for his suffering and pain but that his father would be merciful and forgiving.

Jonah mistakenly believed he had lost God’s favor when God saved the people of Nineveh. The older brother of the Prodigal Son felt he had lost his father’s favor when his father gave a party for his rebellious brother. His anger prevented him from knowing the meaning of forgiveness. What a foolish mistake!                       

___________ 

I correct and punish everyone I love. So make up your minds to turn away from your sins. …If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

~Revelation 3:19,23 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.

When Is a Wrong Choice Not a Mistake?

Children and adults often insist that a wrong choice was just a bad mistake. An honest mistake is usually linked to confusion, limited facts, or leaving home before being mature enough to establish proper boundaries. Mistakes encourage you to evaluate choices since a choice can be tantamount to violating your conscience.

The Prodigal Son made several bad choices that proved costly. Leaving home before being mature enough to establish proper boundaries for himself made it possible for him to lose his inheritance by reckless living and bad choices.

His mistake was trusting friends to stick by him when his money evaporated. God’s mercy and kindness allow for immaturity and mistakes as well as bad choices, but still reality has to be faced. When forced to face reality, the Prodigal Son recognized his failures and repented. God gave him hope for the future and a new beginning.           

____________ 

You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up, then God will show mercy to you.

~Proverbs 28:13 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.

Bad Choices and God's Redeeming Love

Periodically, our contentment is interrupted by unforeseen events that disrupt our peace of mind. Bad choices create unhappiness, so no one gets to pass through life free of hardships. For generations the Hebrew people living in Egypt had enjoyed prosperity, but then politics and power ended their peace and security.

Hardships can be invited into your life through self-imposed habits and a reckless lifestyle. Moses became a fugitive after killing an Egyptian and exiling himself in the desert of Median. His desert confinement severely limited the gifts and talents he had developed as a royal prince in the palace of the Pharaoh.

God decided that Moses had matured after his forty-year exile. He could now begin the work God planned for him. Moses would have concurred with the psalmist, "With love you embrace me, with honor you ennoble me, and with power you uphold me." These words are for you as you open your heart to God’s redeeming love.  

_______________ 

But even so, you love me! You are holding my right hand! You will keep on guiding me all my life with your wisdom and counsel; and afterwards receive me into the glories of heaven! Whom have I in heaven but you? And I desire no one on earth as much as you!

~Psalm 73:23-25 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.

Uniting Patience with Wisdom

When living in an evolving, changing world, it's not easy to be patient. Lack of patience is credited with overreacting to minor issues. Boundaries of tolerance tend to fail as anxiety and worry increase. The more difficult it is to cope with life’s transitions, the more we need godly wisdom to flourish and survive.

Samson consistently came up short on patience and wisdom, which was responsible for his making unfortunate choices. Samson chose revenge for managing the crises he brought on himself. In his book, The Soul’s Natural Food, Jacob Anatoli declares that “wisdom cannot enter into the malicious heart."

 Patience and wisdom conjoined together make it possible to look at life’s joys and sorrows from God’s perspective. To receive wisdom, earnestly ask God for it. Commit to studying God's word so you can apply its wisdom to your life. Share what you learn to build confidence in God’s calling on your life. May God bless and strengthen you with patience and wisdom today. 

____________________

 A wise man patiently restrains his anger and overlooks insults. This is to his credit.

~Proverbs 19:11 The Living Bible

 

The way to become wise is to honor the Lord; he gives sound judgment in all who obey his commands. He is to be praised forever.

~Psalm 111:10 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.

Poor Choices Produce Painful Consequences - Part 3

On the first day of my math class as a college freshman, the professor gave us his definition of love. He knew that's why we had come to college and enrolled in his class. Needless to say, he captured our attention because he was both funny and serious by saying, "Love is an outward expression of an inward all-over." Not what we were expecting to hear from an academic.

Human beings need to receive and give love. As a ninth grader, I had serious trouble in school. I made good grades but was too spontaneous in expressing humor, to the point of being threatened with expulsion. My mother’s response was to lay on the guilt. "After all the work and sacrifices I've made, how could you choose to act this way?"

My mother loved me enough to “lay on the guilt.” Love is about pouring yourself out for another person. Titus 3 explains that God generously poured out his love and kindness on us through Jesus Christ, not because we deserved it, but because he wanted to save us and give us purpose for living. Think about that. 

Poor Choices Produce Painful Consequences - Part 1

Everyone has stood at a crossroads and made choices they regretted. It's at this juncture where decisions may appear overwhelming. A helicopter pilot misjudged a critical situation that preventing him from rescuing a soldier who was consequently killed by enemy fire. The pilot’s self-image began to decline due to guilt for not analyzing the situation correctly.

Listen to his own condemnation. "Not a day goes by that I do not think about the soldier I let die." Compounding his torment was his refusal to share the experience with those who loved him. The only other person who knew what happened was the co-pilot of the helicopter. Secret-keeping results in self-incrimination and secret suffering.

It is possible to make amends for our poor judgment, horrible mistakes, and selfish, sinful acts against others. Jesus instruct us to go to those people and make things right, whatever is required. Where this cannot be done, confess your fallibility and sinful weaknesses to Christ Jesus. Then seek his forgiveness and comfort. This is the beginning of healing for your soul.  

Choosing Compassion and Forgiveness - Part 1

Standing up for what you believe can be a test of your faith. The older brother in the story of the prodigal son stood up for what he believed to be an unjust, unfair situation. He saw his father as having coddled his younger brother, who had been totally irresponsible to the point of disgracing the family.

This parable demonstrates how concern for others can be completely absent. The older brother lacked sympathy for his younger sibling, who through bad choices had squandered his inheritance. The older son could not muster any sympathy for his father, who loved the younger son regardless of the pain he had brought to the family.

Sympathy is expressed sorrow, felt for someone who is hurting. Empathy goes beyond sympathy. Empathy feels as others feel, thinks as they think, and accepts them as they are. With God's help, you can rise above your troubles and reach out with compassion to others who have made bad choices that affected you personally. Empathy reflects God's transforming grace.  

Melting Stone-Cold Attitudes, Ideas, and Hearts - Part 3

How important are other people's opinions to you? There are individuals  who will never be swayed by what others think or believe. Then there are those whose lives hinge on other people's opinions. Fortunately, most people will consider what others say and then make an independent decision.

The older brother in Jesus' story of the lost son was emotionally locked into an inflexible way of thinking. To him, his younger brother made a choice that forever separated him from the privileges and rights of belonging to the family. To him, it was incomprehensible that his brother could come home and be embraced as an important family member.

The older brother's indignation kept him from celebrating his brother's homecoming. He appeared incapable of feeling empathy for his brother or father. Empathy clears the way for understanding what's important to another person. Empathy encourages you to walk with someone through a troubled or a happy occasion. God's love and redemption can melt a heart of stone and clear the way for compassion.  

Jealousy or Forgiveness? It's Your Choice - Part 1

When the prodigal son returned home, his father was so happy that he ordered a celebration with music, dancing, and special food. But this was bad news for the older son, who felt angry and refused to participate. Listen to the hurt feelings he expressed to his father. "Look, all these years I've slaved for you. Yet, you never once gave me a party. But when this irresponsible son of yours shows up, you offer a fantastic family celebration."

Did the older brother have good cause for his anger? He was responsible, hard-working, and dedicated but felt his father never recognized him for his work and loyalty. Now he felt angry and threatened by the father's acceptance and forgiveness of his irresponsible, worthless brother.

What prevented the older brother from celebrating his brother's return? Perhaps he failed to understand that his father's unconditional love was not based on performance or faithfulness. This father did not love the older son less for being faithful and loyal. The father's love surpassed the bad choices of his younger son. God's love for you surpasses your bad choices.  

________________________________

As of Monday, March 21 new posts now occur 3 days of each week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Blog posts will coordinate with the radio broadcast schedule of Attitudes/Answers that airs at 5:45 PM on KHCB radio at 105.7FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, and FL, you may click on the KHCB link in the "About Me" section of this page.

Consequences of Positive and Negative Reality - Part 3

It's not unusual for young people to dream of exciting adventures. Luke 15 describes a young man who wanted to escape from an unacceptable future, so he decided to pursue his dream of high adventure. In desperation, his dream ended in a farmer's hog pen filled with shame and humiliation.

It's normal to pursue self-determination and adventure, but being naive, impulsive, impatient, and unwilling to pay your dues often leads to disaster. God does not desire for us to end up in a pig pen, regardless of a how pig pen is defined. He does allow us to get there by our own devices, including disregard for truth and reality.

God eventually gives us opportunities to change bad choices. Elijah, the great Old Testament prophet got so depressed he wanted to give up and die while hiding from Jezebel, a powerful woman who was determined to kill him. In that depressed state, Elijah received insight from God on how he could continue to be a blessing to God's people and to God himself. God will do that for you.