Lord, Change My Attitude Before Its Too Late by MacDonald James

Author:MacDonald, James [MacDonald, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion
ISBN: 9780802434395
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 4624196
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 2001-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7:

REPLACE A DOUBTING ATTITUDE...

NUMBERS 13:14–11

SAY IT IN A SENTENCE:

Those who make doubting their lifestyle will spend their lifetimes in the wilderness.

Keep going—we’re making big-time progress on our attitudes. Now we’re going to wilderness attitude number four: “Replace a Doubting Attitude...” “Wait a minute! Is doubt an attitude? Really?! I mean, I can see complaining and coveting—but doubting?”

Yes, the title of this chapter is “Replace a Doubting Attitude...” That’s my conviction, and I’m sticking to it! Wilderness attitude number four is doubt. Here’s a definition of doubt: Doubt is the absence of faith. I worked on that one for hours . . . OK, no, I didn’t. Here’s a fuller definition: Doubt is a lack of confidence or assurance that God will keep His promises.

Doubt is the mind-set that keeps saying, “Well, I just don’t know if God will keep His promises . . .” Doubt involves a settled and persistent choice to live with uncertainty. It’s not the stubborn “show me” of Thomas, that went looking for answers, but the steady unresolved attitude of Jonah that said, in effect, “I don’t know and I don’t care. I don’t believe and nobody can change that.”

Such doubt is dangerous. It’s destructive and completely detrimental to any kind of relationship with God. I mean, if you don’t have confidence that God will keep His promises, what do you have?

IRREVOCABLE PROMISES

Let’s get on the table some sample promises God has made, so we can push our definition of doubt a little further.

God has promised to provide for us. Philippians 4:19 says, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” “No, no—maybe God won’t provide for all of my needs. Maybe I’ll end up poor, and even destitute.” That’s doubt.

God has promised to protect us. Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper. . . . This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord” (NKJV). God promises to protect you—against anything or anyone intent on your harm. “But maybe He won’t protect me,” you think. “Maybe something awful is going to happen.” That’s doubt, for sure.

God has also promised to prosper us—though, as some are quick to add, that doesn’t necessarily mean financially. But Psalm 84:11 says, “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Your life will not lack one single thing that could increase your happiness if you will walk uprightly with the Lord. Now either you believe that or you don’t.

All three of the above promises, along with hundreds of others, are signed by God Himself. Doubt is a lack of confidence or a lack of assurance that God will keep those promises. When questions about God’s willingness or ability to keep His promises persist, the attitude becomes a lifestyle—and we are on a bus to cactus country. An attitude of doubt can be traced back to our very walk with the Lord. But it may not be as easy to see in your own life as it is to see in the lives of those Israelites on the edge of the wilderness.

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