How to stay young

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. – Philippians 4:8

On his 75th birthday, Douglas MacArthur wrote…

In the heart is a recording chamber receiving messages of hope that keep you young; get pessimistic and you grow old.

You can’t always control your circumstances, but you can always control your attitude. And what you’ll find is that your attitude can have a profound effect upon your circumstances.

When Paul urged the Philippian church to focus their minds on all that is excellent or praiseworthy, he spoke from experience with the power of a positive attitude grounded in Christ.

You see, Paul wrote the book of Philippians from inside a jail cell.

There’s no doubt that many people in Paul’s shoes would have grown pessimistic. After all, this wasn’t the first time he’d suffered for the cause of Christ.

But Paul didn’t allow his circumstances to jade his faith or his outlook on the life Christ had called him to lead. Instead, Paul found hope in the darkest of times because he chose to let Jesus shape his attitude.

Who’s shaping your attitude today – your circumstances or your Savior?

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would shape your attitude to reflect an unwavering hope in His power and love in your life.

Questions for Thought

What are some circumstances that you could approach with a fresh attitude today?

What are some excellent or praiseworthy things you could focus on to help shape your attitude in the right way?