Welcome to
trinityteaneck.org a community of people who have met the living God and who want others to share this life-changing experience.
Pensamientos para hoy (afterthought for today)
Check Your Attitudometer
We use many types of instruments to measure things. We have scales to tell us how much we weigh, rulers to measure size, clocks to measure time, and thermometers to measure temperature. Our cars have speedometers and odometers to measure speed and distance. But one instrument--the barometer--actually helps to save lives. Barometers are mainly used by meteorologists and sailors to measure atmospheric pressure and forecast the weather. When the barometer reads low pressure, it usually means that it will rain. If it measures high pressure, then it means that it will be sunny and clear. A quick and drastic drop in pressure on the barometer is a good warning that a bad storm is approaching.
But the ocean is not the only place where storms can occur. Sometimes a church can experience storms. Normally the calm and peaceful wind of God's Spirit keeps the conditions in church bright and pleasant. But sometimes storm clouds arise out of the hearts of members who allow pride and selfish ambition to grow and get out of control. Then these negative and destructive forces rage over the entire church and drive the peace of God's Spirit from the congregation.
Fortunately, God has given us attitudometers. These attitudometers can be found in the human conscience which help us measure our attitudes. Here is a list of positive and negative attitudes which people in your church may have. Choose one of the two attitudes in each statement to help you get your attitudometer up and running.
- People in our church tend to be agreeable or disagreeable.
- People in our church tend to be cooperative or uncooperative.
- People in our church tend to be positive or negative.
- People in our church tend to take offense easily or are gracious towards others.
- People in our church tend to trust or distrust leadership.
- People in our church tend to overlook mistakes or point out mistakes.
- People in our church tend to show appreciation or disapproval.
- People in our church tend to gossip about others or protect the reputation of others.
- People in our church tend to congratulate good work or criticize faults.
- People in our church keep their opinions to themselves or feel compelled to voice their opinion.
- People in our church tend to complain about the church or affirm the church.
- People in our church tend to show respect or disrespect to leaders.
- People in our church tend to accept change well or are not open to change.
Now replace the words "people in our church" with "I" and answer the questions. How did your church do? How did you do? If your attitudometer tended to be on the negative side, make a commitment to the Lord to be positive, affirming, cooperative, trusting, and respectful. Memorize 1 Corinthians 13 "
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." and Galatians 5:22-23 "
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
When we allow God to make the attitude adjustments that we need, we will see the sun of God's love chase away the storm clouds, and the peace and love of God's Spirit will blow gently over our churches.
Keeping a check on my attitudometer,
Pastor Steve
May 4, 2007
Find more afterthoughts at Mas Pensamientos
(more afterthoughts)
Return to Home Page of trinityteaneck.org
