OUR ATTITUDES ARE IN CHARGE

A bad attitude is almost as bad as a bad action: bad attitudes lead to bad actions and not the other way around. We do what we know is wrong because we want to do what is wrong. Our attitude at the moment of doing that wrong is compliant with the wrong about to be done. Thus, being jealous of another often leads or certainly can lead us to doing harm to the other. That does not mean a bad attitude always leads to bad and selfish actions. It simply means that such actions stem from such attitudes. If we allow such attitudes to control our lives, we know the consequences.

There is a remedy, of course, as Paul clearly notes in his letter to the Roman community. What we must do, he says, is "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." (Romans 13:14) If we live as Jesus would live, if Jesus lives in us, we will not give in to our emotions or desires that will cause harm to others as well as to ourselves. We will live a life of self-control and not allow our attitudes or emotions to control us.

Easier, much easier, said than done, of course. To do that takes discipline and hard work, often very hard work. It does not come easily or because we desire to live in such a manner, no matter how strong such a will and desire is. Jesus regularly took time to pray, to rest, to discipline himself for his mission and ministry. All the great saints throughout history did the same. They knew how easy it is to allow our emotions to take control of our lives, how a bad attitude toward anyone or anything can lead to words and deeds later rued and regretted.

So do we, because we have been the victims of our own emotional outbursts. We have hurt others, often those closest to us, those who love us the most, because of some petty jealousy. We have said and done things that we regretted almost as soon as the words came out of our mouth or the action was done. It happens all the time and happens more than we would like to admit because, in doing so, we have to admit as well that such emotional outbursts could have been prevented had we been more disciplined in our spiritual lives.

A strong spiritual life demands that we keep on top of our emotions. Such a life will also help us do so. Thus, we need to constantly examine our emotional state to determine if we are thinking and acting as if Jesus were living in and working through us. Emotions and attitudes being what they are, bad ones can quickly grab hold of us and take control. In fact, it almost seems as if the bad attitudes are stronger than the good attitudes, and perhaps they are. That is why we must do all we can to prevent such attitudes from taking control of the moment.

As Paul would remind us, we need to grow more and more each day in the understanding and realization that others are to see Jesus in us and, even more, we are to see Jesus in us. Frightening thought, perhaps. But if we try each day, with God’s offered grace and help, to clothe ourselves in love, fill ourselves with God’s wisdom and grace, we will live as God would have us live, as we would have us live. That’s the attitude to have.