James #4: What do I do with my ATTITUDE?

I really enjoyed Sunday. After a wonderful 4th of July, it was good to be with the Creekside family Sunday morning. Many, many Creeksiders were at Family Camp, lots of others were out of town, so we ended up having a nice, intimate gathering. Worship was simple (loved it!), and we ended up having a bit more of a "conversation" feel to the sermon than most Sundays.

We wrappted up our sermon series on the book of James by asking the question: What do I do with my ATTITUDE? Attitude is so important because it manifests itself in everything - work, relationships, home life, rest, finances - everything!

As I read through James there were four "attitude check" questions that bubbled to the surface for me. Rather than asking additional questions, let's just throw these questions out there.

1. What am I ultimately after?
This isn't just what we SAY we're after, but what we are REALLY after - deep down. It's important to look deeply at this (remember...this is about attitude) because what we are ultimately after will affect our current actions.

2. Am I others-focused?
You can't read through James without seeing how others-focused he is. In addition to the conversations about serving the poor, orphans, and widows, when we look at the description of "the wisdom that comes from heaven" in chapter 3 we notice that every one of the characteristics is others-focused.

3. Am I Other-focused?
This is "Other" with a capital O. Do we integrate a consciousness of God into everything we are and do? Our lives at home? Our lives at work? Relationships? Rest? Hobbies?

4. What am I telling myself?
What we tell ourselves has a tremendous affect on our attitudes. Am I telling myself what I "feel" about my circumstances, or what God has said is true? Am I telling myself I am in control or that God is in control? Am I telling myself that what I do with my money is really "my decision?" Am I telling myself that what I say isn't really that important?

What are some other "attitude check" questions you see as you read through James? And as an added bonus, here's a quote I found interesting as I prepared for Sunday:

“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” Victor Frankl