“I good, I good. I get a drink.” These were the words spoken by our granddaughter, Avery. She, along with her mommy and two sisters were stopping by Sonic for a special drink. Annalise, the oldest, was in the back whining because they were not going where she wanted to go. At our house that is what we used to call, sportin a tude- in other words– she had a bad attitude. As they were pulling in, her mom said to her, “Annalise, if you cannot straighten up and do something about your attitude you will not get a special drink.” Before Angela could finish speaking, Avery, who was almost three, chimed in, “I good, I good, I get a drink.” I was on the phone with my daughter at the time and we both just had to laugh at Avery’s words. Since that day, I have been pondering those words, “I good, I good, I get a drink.”
Annalise’s issue started in her heart and out of the heart came a bad attitude. How often have I acted just like that when I didn’t get my way? At times God has said to me, “Dianne, not now, maybe later. You’ll just have to wait. My child, I do not reward bad attitudes”. It was at this point, that I have on occasion, crossed my arms, rolled these brown eyes and began sportin a tude! Have you ever noticed that women are very good at crossing their arms and rolling their eyes when they don’t get their way? We can at times sport a tude, and it’s a rather unattractive look on us. God does not honor a bad attitude, a sassy tone or a rebellious heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at, man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
The consequences of a bad attitude can cause us to have to do without, just as Annalise was going to have to do without her special drink. We forfeit intimacy in our relationship with the Father. Her mommy was not happy with her. Because of her attitude, she and her mommy were separated relationally. The last thing on her mommy’s mind was closeness and intimacy with her! Annalise really had no reason to be sportin a tude that day, accept, that she didn’t get what she wanted. Her heart wanted its own way. Oh, how like me! I saw myself in her that day. Oh, how I forfeit intimacy with the Father when my heart is not right.
In Luke 10, we see Martha sportin a tude. You can just picture her, with arms crossed, demanding that Jesus set her sister straight. You know her sister, the one who was lazy, always sitting at Jesus’ feet and never helping with all the household chores. Isn’t it interesting that a demanding spirit often accompanies a bad attitude? Martha demanded, Tell her to help me.” The Father does not respond to a demanding spirit. Jesus answers her, “Martha, Martha.” In repeating her name, he shows compassion and he gets her attention. When our girls were small and I wanted their immediate attention, I called them by their first and middle names; they knew I was serious. Jesus says, “Martha, Martha.” He wanted her undivided attention. Then he gently reprimands her, “You are worried and upset about many things.” When we are upset and sportin a tude, often things are exaggerated. What started out to be a small thing becomes gigantic. Perhaps Mary had not set the table that day, a very small thing, but in Martha’s upset heart and mind, Mary had left her to do all the work.
Jesus tells Martha, “Only one thing is needed, Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her.” Avery knew that if she was good, if her heart was good, she was going to get a special drink, even if her sister didn’t. Mary knew where to have her thirst quenched, she was outwardly focused. Martha on the other hand, was inwardly focused. Tell her to help me.”
Mary’s heart was good and therefore her attitude was one of desire. She desired to sit at the Master’s feet and drink from the living well in order not to thirst again. She drank because her heart was good. Martha’s heart was also good; it was her attitude that was not. She was totally absorbed with self and all the work that needed to be done. Because of that, she was forfeiting a drink from the well that never runs dry. “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.” Proverbs 21:12
How often Father, do You desire to give me drinks of refreshment, special drinks? Yet, I am sportin such an attitude, focused on myself, with arms crossed and eyes rolled, dwelling on the fact that I didn’t get my own way? Then I hear, “Dianne, Dianne, you are worried and upset about many things. Come sit at My feet, focus your heart and attention on Me and I will give you drink. It is I who will satisfy you and you will never thirst again.”
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of living water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13
Dianne