Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by James MacDonald (2015-06-18) from his book, Lord, Change My Attitude: Before It's Too Late (p. 101). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition. ( Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) The positive attitude that takes the place of covetousness is contentment.   And James says, “Contentment is a satisfaction with God’s sufficient provision.”   It is being satisfied with what we have but not with who we are. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” James says, “Now notice that contentment has a partner. Do you see it in verse 6? Contentment has a partner, like salt and pepper, like Dallas and Fort Worth, like my wife and me— meant to be together. Contentment’s partner is godliness. ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain,’ as the New King James Version puts it. We must never be content with who we are, only with what we have. That is why these two words are such powerful partners. Godliness deals with who

A thought by James MacDonald (2015-06-18) from his book, Lord, Change My Attitude: Before It's Too Late (p. 93). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition. ( Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I know for the most part the thoughts that will get the most people to stop and read.   But I also don’t want to waist my time in just reading fluff stuff.   I want to be challenged by my reading. And that is why I picked up this book by James MacDonald. Now a continuation of complaining which we’ve been looking at is coveting.   We want, want, want because we know what will make us happy.   But James says, “When your life is a covetous life and you’re living for something else— more, better, or different; or perhaps a relationship, a possession— when desires for something are controlling you, you lose your capacity to discern sufficiency. And enough is never enough.” Later he says, “Now I’m not saying that money or possessions equal sin. I am no

A thought by James MacDonald (2015-06-18) from his book, Lord, Change My Attitude: Before It's Too Late (p. 68). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition. ( Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Such a good thought.   It is an attitude that sets the altitude for living.   That is what I want.   I don’t want an attitude that always keeps me down. I want one that keeps me up. Don’t you? James deals with this.   He says, “Unfortunately, there is a kind of low-altitude life that too many people live. It’s a particular approach that grovels and slums and tries to get by under the radar of hope. It’s a down-and-dirty, cloudy, damp, depressing, ungrateful, unthankful, complaining, negative, ugh! sort of living. We’ve all spent some days there. It’s definitely a wilderness!” He then says, “But there is another kind of living. It’s a high-altitude attitude— up where the air is clean and the sun is shining and the future is as bright as the promises of