Who is that behind those Raybans?

Today's Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

A preacher friend of mine described attitude as a collection of thoughts that affect our behavior. It sounds simple but the more I think about it, the more profound it gets. Behaviors don't just happen. They come from somewhere. They are based on experience or what we believe or how we think about things. Our attitude becomes the lens through which our behavior responds to everything that crosses our path.

Some days I wake up and my first thought is that it's gonna be a great day! Other days...well, not so much. Funny, how I always end up being right. However I think that day is going to turn out just about always comes true. When I put on the proverbial rose-colored glasses, my attitude is brighter and my behavior is positive. When I choose the pair with the blacked out lenses, my attitude turns dark and my behavior follows in a hurry.

Today's scripture reading talks about the attitude of Christ, who although He was in His very nature God, He didn't think equality with God was His to hold. Rather He took on the nature of a servant, came to earth as a human, and then became obedient to death on a cross. Wonder if the end of the story would have been different if Jesus came here begrudgingly? What if He thought He shouldn't have to die to save us? What if He wondered why God didn't pick someone else? How would that have affected His behavior?

I'll speak for myself and say that sometimes my attitude just gets in the way. Why do I have to be the one doing...? Doesn't anybody else ever...? How come I always...? It's awfully hard to be a servant wearing those glasses.

But when we put on the same glasses that Jesus wears, our attitude shifts. And when our attitude changes, our behavior will too. So choose your glasses carefully...are they the same ones Jesus is wearing?

- Holly Barrett