Effective-or Infective-Attitudes

Lately I've been thinking about how much we effect the people around us. It's not something we generally think about. It's so easy to get lost in ourselves that we easily forget that other people exist. And I don't mean that we forget people are even there, I mean we forget that they exist outside of our own little bubbles.

We effect people every day, just by being alive. But the question is, how are we effecting-or infecting-them?

There are many ways we can "infect" people, and our attitude is one of the most influential ways to do it. We can infect them with our sour outlook on topics and subjects, with our mood swings, and it isn't a nice infection. Ninety-five percent of the time, I don't think we realize just how bad it can be, until maybe one day it blows up in our face.

Now there are various reasons for bad/sour attitudes. Stress, financial issues, home troubles. And certainly everyone is allowed to have a bad day. But, never should we let our sourness effect other people negatively.

Let's take a look at some Bible Verses:

^""Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." ~Philippians 4:8

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." ~Philippians 2:4 

^"Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;" ~1 Corinthians 13: 4-6

 "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." ~Proverbs 17:22

 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue"~ Proverbs 18:21

 "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin." ~James 4:17

Once again, it's not hard to see what God wants us to do with our bad attitudes. Take them and bury them. He tells us to look on the good things, the positive things. To think of how other people feel when we constantly complain, are negative, or snappy. Everyone is going to have bad days, stressful days. But we do not have to let it rule us. In fact, God tells us not to. 

What do we do if we find our constant bad attitudes have been effecting others? Simple. Ask them to forgive us, and ask God to help you to control it better. And really mean it.

 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." ~ James 5:16