joseph's attitude, part 2

I've been thinking and writing about attitudes for awhile now; I have recently finished a speaking series on attitude that will launch this fall called sabotage. the idea is that a bad attitude will sabotage your life, and it can only be defeated with the secret weapon of a great attitude. thoughout the series, I will look at several saboteurs and illustrate how they damage our lives and our futures, I'll also spell out the secret weapons that neutralize these saboteurs.

I'm also working on a series on the life of joseph; and in preparing for this, i've been reading chuck swindoll's book on his life. chuck spend a lot of time on joseph's attitude. a few months ago I wrote about joseph's attitude and felt that I covered the subject pretty well. chuck one-upped me and I'll share his thoughts-

:: chuck spends a lot of time of jacob's bad attitude. after joseph is gone, he is hanging on to benjamin for dear life. when the brothers tell him that they have to take benjamin to egypt, jacob freaks out. chuck notes that this guy is a partiarch! he has wrestled with angels and has received the promises of God. he should have the best attitude of them all, and he should be strengthening their faith; but instead, everyone has to strengthen his.

:: when joseph was in the dungeon, after being sent there by potiphar, he meets pharoah's cupbearer and baker. joseph has every right to a bad attitude in this situation. he has been sold into slavery, and then wrongfully accused of attacking mrs. potiphar, and then locked into a dungeon; but joseph apparently had a great attitude in the dungeon. he was put in charge of the entire prison, and when he sees pharoah's two officials he asks them, "why are your faces so sad today?" personally, I would answer, "oh, I don't know... maybe its because I'M IN A DUNGEON?!" you need to have a great attitude to get your focus off of yourself and onto others. you need to have a great attitude to encourage others. and you need a great attitude to serve others, which is exactly what he did to the cupbearer and baker. swindoll points out that if he were joseph, he wouldn't want anything to do with dreams ever again, but joseph listens to their dreams and interprets them. that's a great attitude.

:: at the end of the book, swindoll says, "greatness is revealed mainly in our attitudes." he says that "it takes God to make a heart right. when I have a bad attitude, I look at life humanly. when I have a great attitude, I look at life divinely." he says that joseph was great, "mainly because of his attitude." he ends his chapter on attitude saying, "walk by faith, trusting God to renew your attitude." it takes faith to have a great attitude- faith that God is in control of my situation and that He has good in mind for me.

so I ask you the same things I'll ask my students and myself: how is your attitude? is it sabotaging your relationships, your opportunities and your future? or is your attitude revealing greatness? a great attitude comes from God. it is the fruit of His spirit in our lives. so plant yourself in Him and and let your sparkle shine.

God is love.
-rev-rob