You Don’t Have Too - You Get Too!

Do you want to know how to upgrade your life? Change your mental approach on those hard things in life you may not like to do from “Do I have too?” to “I get too!” It’s all about changing your perspective which changes your attitude. If your attitude about life is generally “Do I have too?” - you are going to be unhappy and unproductive much of the time. You will probably have a bad attitude. Someone once said, “Attitude is like a flat tire. Change it or you’re not going anywhere. Hint. Quit rubbing the cat’s fur the wrong way. Let the cat turn around.

 

Many of you hear, “Do I have too?” every morning. From who? Your children. Children are experts at that phrase! You say, “Brush your teeth please.” The response, “Do I have too?” You say, “Eat your breakfast please.” The response, “Do I have too?” You say, “Clean your room and remember to do your homework please.” The response, “Do I have too?” The problem is children grow up into adults if they never learn how to deal with the myopia of “Do I have too?” Their perspective and attitude stays the same. They take this into their employment and relationships. Where did the children learn that attitude? From us most of the time. Of course, then friends and the social media reinforce it.

     

Think of your place of employment. There are people there who obviously are the “Do I have too?” people. You can spot them instantly. Everything is a bother. Everything takes longer than it should. It’s all about getting through the day doing just enough and no more. Of course, when the “I get too people” get the promotions, it only reinforces both their attitudes and perspectives.
 

We see this in church or people in church. Religion often says, “You have too.” Authentic Christianity says, “I want and get too.” You don't have too - you get too! Life isn’t about forced labor. Life is about securing opportunity. We don’t have to pray. We get to pray. We don’t have to give. We get to give. We don’t have to forgive. We get to forgive. Forgiveness makes the future possible. Forgiveness is un-chains you from who the person who offended you. God has given us the opportunity of setting ourselves free from past offenses and bondage to others.

 

Life is a series of endless opportunities, not just requirements. Think of the children we mentioned above. With every brush your teeth, do your homework, and clean your room, we are confronted with short-term inconvenience or long-term benefit. Not brushing your teeth has consequences not experienced until later with much more inconvenience and expense. In other words, the only thing worse than brushing your teeth is not brushing your teeth. My advice is don’t rub the fur the wrong way. Let the cat turn around. The cat is you and me.

 

There was a prophet in the Bible named Isaiah. The Israelites at the time were very inconvenienced about doing the work of God. Their attitude toward the laws of God were “Do we have too?” Their perspective and attitude was putting them in bondage, not God. The Israelites were thinking, “We should do that but do we have too?” But God was looking for someone like Isaiah who was thinking, “It’s not we should do, it’s we can do, we get to do what God wants.”

 

God asks His people, “Whom shall I send, and who will go out for Us?” Then Isaiah responds, “Here am I. Send me!” There was no “Do I have too?” There was “I get too!” I like that exclamation point. I don’t use those often. The cat turned around and opportunities arose for greatness.

 

The Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. The Bible does not say, “I should do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Moving from 'should' to 'can' is a life lifter. And believe me, God prefers ‘can’ to ‘should’ any day of the year. Don’t just read this. Apply it.

 

Ed Delph    July 10, 2017   CCC