Oct 04
Today’s Truth
Trust in the LORD with all your heart do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT).
Friend to Friend
“Fine, God, I’ll do it!” After days of arguing with God about why He would ask me to go to the hospital to visit 
someone that I didn’t like, I finally went. As I rode in the elevator with a “I’m-a-good-Christian-woman” look on my face, there was nothing godly about what was simmering on the inside. I was madder than a millennial without a cellphone power cord. As I walked down the hallway, frustrated words escaped in a furious whisper, “God, why me? I really don’t want to do this.”
Can you relate? When’s the last time that you had a negative attitude to living out some aspect of your faith?
You resist forgiveness because you don’t think that it’s fair that God asks you to forgive.
You know that you should be patient, but it’s a lot easier for you to complain.
You sense God asking you to give up control, but you’re ready to blame God if something goes wrong.
Does our attitude matter when God calls us to live out our faith? How does a bad attitude impact your faith?
Today’s Truth reminds us that trusting God begins with our heart, not our actions. We usually only trust when we feel safe or secure with the one that we are trusting. A negative or bad attitude toward what God is calling you to do may reveal a lack of trust in your heart. If you question whether God is good or that He is leading you toward His best, that will often manifest in pessimism, complaining, anger or other negative attitudes. This isn’t a salvation issue, but a bad attitude often sets up a bad outcome.
In Numbers 20, the Israelites complained to Moses about the lack of water. Again. God gave Moses the same instructions that He’d given before to Moses on how to bring about safe drinking water. In Numbers 20:8, God tells Moses to take his staff and speak to a rock that was before the people. Then, God promised that enough water would flow to satisfy the entire Israelite community and their animals.
Moses grabs his staff and gathers the people in front of the rock. While Moses appears to be obedient, the following statement offers powerful insight about Moses’ attitude toward what God has asked him to do: “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10). Rather than standing before the people and proclaiming that God was about to send a provisional miracle to meet their needs, Moses’ bad attitude reveals frustration and pride. Not only that, but Moses’ bad attitude turned into a slippery slope that led to disobedience.
Next, instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck the rock, not once, but twice with his staff. This was not what God instructed him to do. Yet water flowed from the rock and the Israelites drank their fill (20:11). While Moses’ poor attitude didn’t stop God’s plans, his poor attitude led to disobedience.
As we reflect again on Today’s Truth, Proverbs 3:6 gives us the “so that” outcome for when we trust. The Message paraphrase says it this way: “…so that your life will stay on track.” As I sat in the hospital during that visit and saw that God was at work in that person’s life, my attitude began to change. I saw that God was using me to accomplish His purposes and that was so humbling!
Where do you think God wants you to do an attitude check today? A good attitude reflects your trust in the goodness of God. That doesn’t mean that you won’t have hard days and you can always be honest with God in all things. Still, keep an eye on your attitude. A bad attitude won’t stop God’s plans, but your bad attitude can keep you from experiencing the fullness of God’s blessing for you.
Let’s Pray
Dear God, help me to check my attitude today! I want to trust Your ways, no matter what I am facing. As I reflect on how I’m doing when trusting You, help me to get to the bottom of any bad attitude that is influencing my faith or behavior today.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Is there a bad attitude that you need to surrender to God today? In what ways could you see yourself in Barb’s or Moses’ story?
More from the Girlfriends
Today’s content is adapted from Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus, a popular six-week 
Bible study from Barb Roose. This six-week study explores Jesus’s time of testing in the wilderness and offers practical tools to help you let go of control and live in God’s peace.
(As an Amazon Associate, Girlfriends in God earns A SMALL COMMISSION from qualifying purchases using this paid link.)
©2022 by Barb Roose. All rights reserved.
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I can apply today’s truth in my response to homeless people. I often have a pessimistic attitude and rarely acknowledge them. I want to change my attitude to one of respect even if I don’t have anything to share and one of generosity when I do.
Good morning! Thank you for stopping by and joining today’s conversation. Your takeaway from today’s devotional is bold and brave. Thank you fo sharing it with us!
Thank you Barb for being so transparent. We can all relate to having a bad attitude when obeying God, at some time in our lives. I too have been guilty of this. I have surrendered this to God and I know that he will create in me a loving and obedient heart.
Andrea, thank you for stopping by Girlfriends in God today. I appreciate your comment and I know that other readers will as well!
I am having a hard time trusting God in my situation.I found out yesterday that I have two masses on my liver.I am going to have an mri to get more info.I’ve never had any issues like this with my health and am feeling anxious but I know I am not alone.My daughter who was married to a woman is going to be moving in with us in December as her partner died suddenly in April.Hoping she will see faith in us and return to her relationship with Christ.
Lisa, thank you for sharing your story with us. You’re facing some pretty tough situations and God understands that you’re hurting and feeling the weight of the uncertainty. Praying for you today!
I have to be honest, I do have a horrible attitude some days because I have a son with an addiction and another son that hasn’t spoken to me in almost 4 years and I can’t change either. The only thing I can do is pray. I do know that you can walk around with an attitude and it’s only hurting yourself. I’m not alone. Having a bad attitude disappoints God. I just have to keep on praying I know God is hearing my prayers.
Sheila, thank you for honestly sharing your experience. It’s so, so hard to keep walking in obedience with a good attitude while our heart is hurting. We see you today and the burden on your heart. Yes, God sees you and cares for you. As a Girlfriends in God community, we’re here to support you!
Oh man have I struggled with this before, I feel it often when I become over critical of others, or I have to follow leadership I don’t necessarily agree with. Oh but, God’s grace!! He is teaching me how to surrender those feelings quicker and quicker and it has been a soothing balm for my soul.
So good, Janelle! Thank you for joining the conversation and sharing what you’re learning and receiving from God!
Good morning Ladies-
Thank our for sharing-I found myself in a very similar situation months ago-ouch, t was so hard to “agree” with God to do this very thing. He showed me his grace and mercy through it. I am sill growing and trying to be obedient and yes, sometimes it is a humbling experience. I am finding however, that I have become stronger and better in sone ways-to Him be the glory for this!
To Lisa above-i am so sorry that yu are dealing with this heath issue that has surfaced. I am praying that God will deliver you with complete healing and healing. May the Lord also use this time to bring healing into your daughter’s heart and healing; may she come to know God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness. I pray that your relationship with her will become stronger, healthier and so full of love.
The Lord has you covered Lisa.
Gladys, thank you for stopping by Girlfriends in God and sharing your experience. I love that you saw God’s mercy and grace even as you were obedient in a situation that wasn’t necessarily what you wanted.
This reading reminded me of when the Lord told me to “now do it with a proper attitude.” I was ready to leave our former church but my husband still wanted to attend the church. For years I was like “I’m so ready to leave this church.” But I convinced myself I was hanging in there for my husband until the Holy Spirit corrected my thoughts. I remember it like it was yesterday. In that moment I learned that my attitude makes a huge difference in how I obey God. However, I did go to a go to scripture that helped me through the process of hanging in there: “obedience is better than sacrifice.” Finally God released us from that church and I was so happy that I obeyed God with a better attitude.
Great story!
Cecelia, powerful story! And I know that it will speak to many women as they check out the comments. Thanks for sharing it with us!