Avoiding Attitude Disasters

January 16, 2008

By James Fields

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12, NIV).

After enjoying a wonderfully relaxing week in Acapulco, Delores and I boarded a plane headed for Texas via Mexico City. At the Mexico City airport, chaos struck.

The airline greatly overbooked our flight from Mexico City to Texas. People shoved, shouted and rushed forward to the ticket counter. We were stranded in the airport. I spent two or three hours trying to find an alternate flight home. No success. Because it was Saturday afternoon, I called Texas and made arrangements for others to conduct Sunday services.

We can’t avoid all disasters. Living on planet Earth guarantees some small and large disasters will force themselves upon you. But the greatest of all disasters occurs internally.

When we react with bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, discouragement or fear, we create attitude disasters. Attitude disasters ruin us emotionally and spiritually. Accidents and setbacks may ruin us financially or maim us physically, but we can recover from such disasters.

A few days before flying into Mexico City, the Lord spoke to me during my private time with Him. I wrote in my prayer journal, “God wants eternal companions who are like himself.” This phrase kept running through my mind as I dealt with the Mexico City chaos. I never became angry or discouraged. I just wanted to be the kind of person who lets others see Jesus. I wanted to present Christlike, sweet and loving attitudes to the One who shunned all attitude disasters. His Holy Spirit graciously kept my human spirit and mind calm and unperturbed.

Friend, during your private time with the Lord, His victorious attitudes rub off on you. Stay near Him so you can become like Him. No matter what disaster strikes your family, your body, your finances or your life, disaster will never touch your attitudes.

-- James and Delores Fields are veteran Assemblies of God pastors and former missionaries. They founded Comfort and Encouragement Ministries in 1997.