ORACLES: Lesson 59

A bad attitude will get you nowhere in life!” Aside from “Straighten your back,” I remember this being my mother’s mantra during my teenage years. It was the response to a mindset that never saw the good, only the bad and only viewed those with the greatest and most sincere love, as the greatest nuisance.

Most people outgrow that mindset and adjust slowly but surely, yet it should be said that maturity doesn’t happen automatically. Nor does maturity come with the passing of time. Maturity comes from discipline, perseverance and pressure. It comes from challenge and a deliberate decision to be better in situations that at one time brought about meltdown. “…tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:4

I’ve seen adults have temper-tantrums in airports, grocery stores and in office related matters, and I’m always surprised because most people contain themselves in public settings and unravel in private settings. Regardless of the context, if you’re ever going to see God’s best, you have to mature. You have to grow in your response to challenge, difficulty, and the unexpected.

God cannot take immature people into next level living because His desire is that you represent Him wherever you go. If you fall apart now, how will you ever manage when more responsibility is upon you? You won’t! Which means, you have got to change. The test for change is not found so much in public settings (like I said, most people know how to comport themselves amidst strangers). The test of change will be seen amongst those you love the most, those you trust and feel the most comfortable around.

Stop allowing situations to change your day, your temperament or your state in life. Use challenge as a stepping-stone and climb daily by ridding sarcasm, impatience, and

overall bad behaviors. Show your maturity in public and private and see your life change for the better, significantly.