Often we get discouraged by the circumstances we find ourselves in. And more often than not, we give these circumstances more power than they deserve.

Last night during my devotional, God reminded me that ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? do I have the power. My attitude is often the decider of my experience. I know that a good attitude brings a better experience and better results than a bad attitude ever could, but sometimes it’s just easier to have the bad attitude about things – especially the things that I can’t control.

The devotional reminded me of a book I read when I was going through a really rough time in my life called, Lord Change My Attitude: Before It’s Too Late by James MacDonald . Essentially the message of the book is “Change your attitude, change your life.” We’re very good at explaining why we’re unhappy: bad job, bad relationships, bad luck. But there’s probably a better reason: bad attitudes. In Lord, Change My Attitude, James MacDonald shows us just how much our attitudes affect our lives. Drawing from the experience of the Israelites who grumbled through the wilderness, MacDonald shows how bad attitudes rob us of joy. Coveting, complaining, and being critical are not what our hearts were made for.

Like the Israelites, we often can’t control our circumstances, but we can control our attitude. While it might be easier to have a bad attitude (& Lord knows I chose this more often than I should), life is too short to let unfortunate circumstances control how we treat our significant other, marriage, friendships, or any other relationship!

Bad and/or unfortunate things will happen, but be encouraged — in Christ, we have the power <3

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness ” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me”. 2 Corinthians 12:9