Topical Tuesday 30 - Men's Retreat

This past weekend I went to our church’s men’s retreat and had a great time. The only problem was that I wasn’t expecting to have a great time.

A few months ago I was invited to give two talks at the men’s retreat and I agreed (I have a hard time saying “no” when someone asks me to speak). Unfortunately, as the weekend drew nearer, I realized that my attitude about the retreat was getting worse. I wasn’t looking forward to the retreat and I was beginning to regret that I had agreed to speak. In my mind I was coming up with all sorts of excuses for why I didn’t want to go.

I was busy and didn’t want to spend a weekend away from home.

It wasn’t going to be much of a retreat for me because I had to worry about speaking.

It was going to be emotionally draining spending time with that many men and having to play “pastor” all weekend.

These excuses had left me with a terrible attitude; all last week I would complain to anyone who would listen. Then some time on Friday as I was getting ready for the weekend, I realized that I should probably have a better attitude about the weekend. My bad attitude was going to get in the way of anything good happening for me or through me and it needed to change. So I set my mind to changing my attitude and it changed.

I had a great weekend even though I wasn’t at home.

I felt refreshed from the time away even though I had to speak.

I shook off the role of “pastor” and just enjoyed myself hanging out with the guys.

We like to think that our attitudes are dictated by external forces, that if we have a bad attitude it’s because of something else “out there.” The reality is we have way more control over our attitudes than we would like to admit. We can determine whether or not we’re going to have a good attitude or a bad attitude regardless of external forces. We just have a hard time admitting that because it means we have to take responsibility for our attitudes.

And while it’s true that we have to then take responsibility for our attitudes, it’s also true that we can find the power to change those attitudes for the better. We have the power to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and change our attitudes. I’m grateful for this ability because it led me to have a great weekend at the men’s retreat, made even greater because my bad attitude had kept me from expecting it.

When have you convinced yourself to change your attitude?