God's Exquisite Garden
IMITATE CHRIST
Your attitude should be the same attitude that Christ
Jesus had. (Phil.
2:5)
The best explicit attitude is one like Christ's. Often people excuse
self-importance, egotism, or evil by claiming their "rights." They
think, I can cheat on this test; after all, I merit passing this class,
or I can spend all this money on myself, I earned it. But as believers,
we should have an inconsistent attitude; one that allows us to lay
aside our rights in order to serve others. If we say we pursue Christ,
we must live as he lived. We should establish his attitude of humility
as we serve, even when we are not likely to be recognized for our
efforts. Are you selfishly holding on to your rights, or are you eager
to serve?
Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus: who being
in the form of God did not consider it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a
bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men: and being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto the
point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV)
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Bad attitudes hurt our relationship with God
(Genesis 4:6-7)
Bad attitudes lead to poor decisions (Numbers 14:1-4)
Always trust God for your life (Proverbs 29:25)
Never be anxious (Philippians 4:6-7)
God gives Christians a new attitude (Philippians 1:20-25)
Choose a positive attitude (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
God will reward the meek (Matthew 5:5)
We should imitate the attitude of Jesus(Philippians 2:5)
Christians should always rejoice (Philippians 4:4)
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We exist in a world that perilously needs empathy a
world of
extreme suffering. So many experience suffering and linger suffering
without ever having their needs met. The capability and reserves to
meet their needs are available, but so many within the world have
become impenetrable to the sufferings of others. They bank, hoard, and
build up their treasures instead of forfeiting and reaching out to meet
the needs of the world. But this is not to be true of the convert.
Believers are to have compassion upon the afflictions of others.
Followers are to feel humanity to the point that they are moved to act,
sacrificing and reaching out to meet the needs of those enduring
misfortunes.
A great bond is created between the believer and those to whom he
attends, whether it be for physical or spiritual needs.
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love
as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 1 Peter 3:8 [KJV]
We are to have the mind of Christ. Paul tells us to model him as he
imitates Christ. Christ had no guile, evil thoughts or a selfish
inclination. So often, people try to live life on their own conditions.
What they do not comprehend is that we are unable to make life
decisions on our own. Many times we have trials that we on our own do
not have the ability to handle. Jesus tells us, "Come unto me, all ye
that are heavy laden and I will give you rest." In Psalms we are told
that God is our strength.
Jesus was the Son of God, He was one with the
Father. But He was
submissive to be God's "righteous servant," and His own words voiced
the submission of His will to the Father's. If the divine Redeemer
conveyed and feels appropriately, how obedient to God ought we to be!
Illness may cause us to be supine, death may bereave us, poverty may
try us, the tears of the widowed or of the fatherless may flow from our
eyes; but let us desire to have the same mind in us that was in Christ,
and the Father will carry us through and give us victory.
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Thy heart is not right in the sight of God. (Acts 8:21)
We exist in a world that perilously needs empathy a world of extreme
suffering. So many experience suffering and linger suffering without
ever having their needs met. The capability and reserves to meet their
needs are available, but so many within the world have become
impenetrable to the sufferings of others. They bank, hoard, and build
up their treasures instead of forfeiting and reaching out to meet the
needs of the world. But this is not to be true of the convert.
Believers are to have compassion upon the afflictions of others.
Followers are to feel humanity to the point that they are moved to act,
sacrificing and reaching out to meet the needs of those enduring
misfortunes.
A great bond is created between the believer and those to whom he
attends, whether it be for physical or spiritual needs.
For years, I worked in a school system and had to keep paperwork. On
one of my notebooks, I placed the first two illustrations where I could
see them. They were read by me daily and seemed appropriate.
Always imitate the behavior of the winners
when you lose.
George Meredith
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Your living is determined not so much by what
life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life.
John Homer Miller
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Bible Illustrations
I, for my part, have learned, by the teaching of the Holy
Spirit, (Heb 5:8), to be content in every state.
Unflappable to the serenity of the Christian, whose adequacy isn't in
itself, but in God (2Co 3:5 )
Thy heart is not right in the sight of God. (Acts 8:21)
Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of
life. Proverbs 4:23
To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life
and peace. (Rom. 8:6)
In this last verse, we are told that the worldly person is alive in the
physical sense, but he is spiritually dead. The inner person is dead to
God in all that he does and says. Even though someone might be moral,
even religious, he lacks the spiritual life. We find in Romans 8:2 he
needs the life we have in Christ Jesus.
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