A Moment in Time

Have you ever wondered how your attitude affects how others see you? We have a tendency to "play off" who we really are. We make excuses for how we act. We think, "That is not who I am. Yes, I did that, but I was under a lot of stress that day." The problem is not that we have one bad day, a moment in time where we lost it. The truth of the problem surfaces when we can take a good look at our life and see that "it" occurs everyday and "it" really is not a moment type situation, but a life of having the wrong attitude. A moment in time, every day, when we follow the pounding of our heart. A moment in time, every day, where if we could see what others are seeing, we would be appalled.

I looked up attitude in the index of my bible and I was kind of surprised to read what it referenced. I was expecting to see things like complaining, happy... you know those emotional type descriptions. While those were there, those descriptions were few. What it referenced most were topics dealing with how we act. What do we do? What are our hearts desires? Do we practice what we preach? Do your actions reflect the things of the world or of Christ?

This got me thinking. How do others really see me? Most importantly, how does my family see me? I may be able to put on an act in public, but no one can put on an act all of the time. This is how I must evaluate my attitude, my hearts desires. I must look at my action through my families eyes. How do I talk to my husband? How do I talk/treat my children? I think this is where many "pastors" loose their children. They speak one thing, but in their homes, they forget to practice what they preach.

1 Corinthians 10:33, "I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved." This is not talking about being a "people pleaser". This is about holding to your beliefs, what you say you believe, so that when others see you they can see you walking with Christ and living a truly changed life. We do not go on vacation and forget what is truly important. You've heard the saying, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." I've got news for you. It does not. You cannot just leave your life, change your surroundings for a moment, and change who you are. If you can do that, maybe who you really are is that person you become when you think no one can see you. That is the hardest part of me that I have ever had to deal with. Who is the real me? And can I change the real me and still be real?

Matthew 15:8-9, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God." The real me is a follower of Christ. I worship Him in my daily living. I worship Him when I am on vacation. I cannot just put aside my true beliefs in a moment of passion. I must evaluate who I am on a daily basis. I am not perfect, but I strive to be like Christ. In order to live a changed life, am I following through with what I know is right?

How do others see me? When others see you, do they see you continually fighting? Do you think you are just having a bad day, or is it really who you are because everyday seems to find you in the same mood? If we are living continually in chaos, maybe it really is not our surroundings, or someone else. Maybe it is us. For wherever we go, there we are. It is not about who I used to be. I cannot buy that lie. It is Who He is. It is about changing who I used to be, to who I am in Him. Being born again, being saved, is a moment in time. Becoming like Christ is a life long process.