Two birds flew over a desert. Both birds saw the same scenery, but they each viewed them differently. The vulture noticed the rotting flesh and decay because that’s what it was looking for. But the hummingbird ignored the dead animals and instead looked for the colorful blossoms of desert flowers. The vulture thrives on what was and lives off of the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is, they search for new life, and they fill themselves with the freshness of life. Two birds flew over a desert, and they both found what they were looking for.

We all have the ability to choose what it is that we focus on. Each one of us has the ability to choose our attitude in life. God saved us for a reason, and that is so we would glorify Him with our lives. If we choose an attitude of discontentment or laziness we are failing to fulfill our divinely given purpose. Having the proper attitude helps us mentally, spiritually, and even physically. So what should our attitude look like?

God wants us to have an attitude of gratitude for letting us be a part of His saving plan (Look throughout the psalms!). Gratitude is choosing to focus on the positive. It is to be grateful for what we have been blessed with and not what we don’t have.

We should have an attitude of excitement in getting to help others find and grow a relationship with God. It is a God-given privilege to be a part of the work of the Kingdom. We are doing what really matters, and we should be excited to be a part of such a great work.

We should also have patience (Gal. 6:9). Times will get tough. It won’t always be easy to show excitement and gratitude. It’s in the trials and testing that our patience is needed. We must have a patient attitude knowing that God holds the future in His hands (Psa. 31:14-15).

If we have this proper attitude it will help us glorify God through our actions. These actions include important things like bearing fruit for the Father (John 15), fighting as soldiers for Christ (2 Tim. 2:3-4), and running in the Christian race (1 Cor. 9:24-27).  Having the proper attitude will strengthen our dedication to the Lord. We receive salvation from God and in return we must be dedicated laborers and workers in the Kingdom (Col. 3:23; Matt. 5:16).

Just like those two birds that flew over the same desert, we have been given the ability to choose what we focus on and what our attitude will be in life. Two people can go through the same terrible event and respond in two entirely different ways. God created us with the power of choice. We have the power to choose what our attitude will be. We can either focus on the bad in this world, the hopelessness, the sin and decay. Or we can focus on glorifying God with an attitude that He approves of.

Carl Pollard