This devotion was in my email on Monday morning. I thought I would share it, as it hit home for me.
The Problem with Grumbling
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
A bad attitude is a significant enough problem when it affects our personal walk with Christ and steals our joy. But a far greater consequence of our grumbling is the effect it has on the nonbeliever. When we allow our bad attitudes to eclipse our joy, we not only hurt ourselves but also our testimony for Christ. Who would be attracted to the Christian faith when Christians are miserable, complaining, and bitter?
Why would someone want to come to a church when its members bicker, gossip, and backbite against each other? Who would you rather be: the person who spreads misery or the person who spreads joy?
As Christians we have a serious responsibility to witness for Christ. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20). Our negative testimony could have eternal consequences for someone who is searching for the Truth.
We may think we are keeping our grumbling and murmuring to ourselves, but the attitude of our hearts will show in how we treat others, the things we say, and in our actions. When we forget our joy, our testimony is no longer about the glory of Christ but about our own misery.
Prayer: Father, forgive me for the times when my bad attitude has gotten in the way of my testimony for You. Help me to remember that my attitude not only affects me, but it also affects those around me. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).
