Philippians 2:12-18

These verses are quite magical and remind me of a father reading his children a bedtime story! They are words with meaning, words of encouragement and above all, words which have as much relevance today as they did when they were written many years ago. It's all to do with having the right 'attitude'. "Do everything without complaining or arguing" he writes, in verse 14.

English architect Sir Christopher Wren was supervising the construction of a magnificent cathedral in London. A journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers, so he chose three and asked them this question, "What are you doing?" The first replied, "I'm cutting stone for 10 shillings a day." The next answered, "I'm putting in 10 hours a day on this job." But the third said, "I'm helping Sir Christopher Wren construct one of London's greatest cathedrals."

It's never easy to be the 'positive one' in a situation where everyone else is so negative. The third man on this occasion was undoubtedly the positive one. Although others saw their job as a way of earning money or even consuming their time, that one man remained enthusiastic, seeing what he was doing as worthwhile. Why do I write this bible study? Because it's an oppurtunity for me to tell you about how amazing I think God is and what He has done in my life and can do for you.

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: To choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's way." Viktor Frankl, a man who endured and survived the circumstances of a World War II concentration camp.

Don't let your days pass by containing misery, moaning and complaints. God is with you always. That is something to smile about. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.