Attitude as a choice
As a young leader in ministry it is very easy for cynicism and negativity to creep into your attitude. The reasons abound, from frustrations of just being younger and treated as a part of broad 
stroke of assumptions towards your generation, to really desiring to make a contribution but not being able to have a voice.
Regardless of the reasons, it seems like cynicism and a “whatever” attitude creep in very quickly in the ranks of young leadership. I know I have struggled with this and I have been praying and studying the Bible for a solution. My answer comes through the life of Joseph. Yes, we have all studied and even taught on the life of Joseph a lot of times, even with the lame curriculum’s that portray Joseph as a “clip art” figure – ugh when was that ever good?
But as I have been studying his life I think the biggest lesson taught by his example is that our Attitude is a choice based on our level of Trust in God. I have heard that attitude is a choice, but that choice isn’t random. If I choose to follow Joseph’s example and be positive and content no matter my position or situation or age, I can’t just “will” that to happen. The power to live as Joseph did is supernatural, it requires faith, it requires trust that God is working even when it would seem obvious to the rest of the world that he left you a long time ago. So the choice to have a positive attitude is the same choice of deciding to trust in the Promises of God. I think that gets lost in the translation to my heart a majority of the time.
In previous attempts to have a positive attitude, I have attempted to just “will” it, or make it a value, and have usually come up short, or inconsistent. But when I realize that attitude is a faith choice, the power for consistency comes from being feed spiritually and trusting in God. It isn’t a “fakey” pretend everything is okay, it is being fully aware and admitting when things are hard, but having made a choice of Faith that God is in control, and that I actually, truly trust him with that control – no matter what.
That is what Joseph had to do, he trusted God even when he was thrown into a pit to die and then was sold into slavery. He trusted God when he made a choice between his faith and his career, and he trusted God when he was in prison and forgotten by those he helped. And because of that faith, and that trust, Joseph was far from cynicism, he was blessed in whatever he did, and when the timing came, he was READY to be a strong leader. There is a big difference in wanting to lead, and being ready for it.
So, for us young leaders in the church of 2007 – can we trust God in the midst of budget cuts? In the midst of staff conflict? In the midst of financial hardship? In the midst of being lead by poor leadership? In the midst of being left out or forgotten? In the midst of being attacked? Etc…
All that stuff is hard, all of it can work our emotions over like the new recruits in boot camp, all of it takes the center of our attention and leaves us with a choice. Will we chose to trust God with the details that are out of our control and move forward in a positive attitude? Or will we try to grab the reigns back`from God and let our cynicism do the talking?
The choice is ours, and what we chose strongly determines what we will be READY for when God’s timing is right!
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