The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Philippians 2:5-11, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

In 1946, a man named Truett Cathy opened an eatery in Atlanta, Georgia and called it “Dwarf Grill.” By 1993, he had 500 restaurants. By 2010, he had 1,500 restaurants. In two more years (2012), sales had reached $4,000,000,000 — that’s BILLION! Want to know how he did it? On the spiritual level, it was prayer; on the human level it was “attitude.”

No, money is not everything; attitude is! That’s why Paul emphasized attitude in the lives of all believers. Give me a few moments of conversation, and I will know whether or not you’ll be successful. How? Your attitude! Cathy’s restaurants today serve good food. Some of it is unique. But it’s not cheap. So, why do people keep coming back, back, back? If you’ve ever been to a “Cathy place,” you knoiw the answer. It’s the attitude of the employees.

Jesus’ attitude was one of submission to His Father. When God the Father decided to create the universe in which we live, He appointed His Son, Jesus, to be the Constructionist. Paul tells us that Jesus did not regard His equality and position with the Father in Heaven as something to be grasped with retention. He was and always has been willing to do His Father’s will. He said so in John 8:29, “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” Attitude!

My guess is that you know someone who has climbed the “success ladder,” who has never had a good attitude. “So there!” you say. “How that for your essay on attitude?” My answer is simply that you have not read all of the verses listed above. The person you know may have made money, but he will doubtlessly never, with a bad attitude, be exalted by God. He will never possess an acceptable name in God’s sight. No one will ultimately bow the knee in reverence to him. But on one significant Day, he will bow before Jesus, and he will acknowledge that the Christ, whom he ignored in life, is THE KING. And with all that Christ Jesus did for mankind by dying on the Cross and rising from the Tomb, He did in obedience “to the glory of God His Father.” That’s the supreme attitude!

What is your attitude? Have you trusted Christ Jesus as your LORD and Savior? If not, why have you not? And if you have trusted Him,

what is your attitude toward unbelievers? Are you lovingly witnessing to them about Christ? If not, why not? Give your attitude some serious thought. Yield it, along with everything in life, to Jesus. One day, you’ll be glad that you did. God bless you!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”