It's a Question of Attitude
Living the Christian life
demands that we develop right attitudes and motivations. Here are some
attitudes that we should definitely not develop.
Has anyone ever accused you of being in a "bad attitude"?
What, exactly, is a "bad attitude"?
It's easy, of course, to tell when others are not rightly motivated not
thinking as true Christians should — isn't it? After all, you can hear
their nasty remarks. You can see the wrong things they do and the
selfishness they display. You may wonder. How can anyone be so bad?
Good question' But how about you'' Aren't you. at least and maybe more
than occasionally, in a similar frame of mind? Do you abhor your own
behavior as much as you do others? Do you always recognize when you are
in a bad attitude? Are you deeply, honestly aware of it?
Perhaps you mislead someone — or maybe cloud the issue or exaggerate
the facts. Or you are harsh toward a friend. Or you turn down an
opportunity to help. Are you converted enough to repent of your
mistake, to try to repair the damage and to do what you are supposed to
do?
Some people are only in a good attitude when everything goes well with
them - when their needs are fulfilled to their own satisfaction. But is
there any merit in that? Can you still be in a good attitude when you
are sick or when you lose a job or when people spread false rumors
about you? Can you still fully live the Christian way when things get
really tough''
Attitude spells success or failure depending on whether the attitude is
good or bad. A good attitude can mean a happy home. a pleasant job
situation, genuine friends — certainly a closer relationship with God.
But a bad attitude can result in a broken home. unhappy surroundings,
frustrations and loneliness!
For the true Christian, having the right attitude is all-important. God
judges us according to our attitudes! Having the
right attitude is our key to God's Kingdom.
After God's heart
Consider the criterion God used to choose David to be king over Israel.
When God told Samuel to go to the house of Jesse to find out which of
Jesse's sons God would select to replace King Saul. Samuel first
looked as we all do — at the sons' appearances.
"But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at the
height of his stature, because I have refused him for the lord does not
see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord
looks at the heart" " (verse 7).
And God chose David. But why? What made David, and not his brothers, a
man after God's own heart? The Bible clearly reveals the answer in one
single verse: "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own
heart, who will do all My will" (Acts 13:22).
Notice it! David was a man after God's own heart because he was ready
and willing to fulfill all God's will. Not his will, but God's. Despite
his main sins and none of us is without sin - David's heart was right.
This mental frame of wanting to obey and serve God is the essence of a
right altitude and its the
opposite of a bad attitude. When
you are wrong, are you willing to admit it? The hardest thing for any
human being to do is admit that he is wrong. But a willingness to see
and correct error is an important part of a right attitude.
Christ gave a striking example to illustrate the importance of
correcting wrong: "A man had two sons." Christ said, in parable, "and
he came to the first and said. "Son, go, work today in my vineyard." He
answered and said. I will not, but afterward he regretted it and went.
Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said,
'I go, sir,' but he did not go" (Matt 21:28=30)
Which one of the two sons resembles you? The decisions you make may not
always be wise, but after thinking things over and examining the facts,
arc you Christian enough to change your mind and do what you should
have done in the first place?
If you are not willing to recognize your mistakes and change, then
Christ will give you the same answer He gave those who heard this
parable, saying, "Assuredly. I say to you that tax collectors and
harlots enter the kingdom of God before you" (verse
31)
Let's briefly examine four major aspects of wrong attitudes. We all
have wrong altitudes from time to time, and we need to overcome them.
When we do. we will have made a giant step toward the Kingdom of God.
Constantly finding fault
Some people constantly look for faults in their neighbors. They
criticize and condemn, making themselves judges. This always-
wanting - to - find - fault attitude makes them feel superior — fills
them with self-righteousness.
Do you realize that you can never enter God's Kingdom until you get rid
of this altitude?
Christ said: "Judge not. that you be not judged. For with what judgment
you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use. it
will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your
brother's eye. but do not consider the plank in your own eye?"
(Matt. 7:1-3).
Satan was the first to develop and exercise this fault-finding
attitude. As the archangel Lucifer. before he became Satan, he-found
fault with God's government and began to want to take-God's place Isa.
14:12-14. Ezek. 28:12-15). He influenced a third of all the angels to
develop this same rebellious attitude toward God. convincing them to
join him in an unsuccessful attempt to knock God
off His throne (Rev.12:3-4).
Then, alter God created the first man and woman. Satan convinced Eve
that God was wrong to forbid Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The couple believed Satan and
disobeyed God. Consequently, they were afraid when the) heard the sound
of their Creator's voice in the garden of Eden. They hid themselves.
When God asked their why, Adam answered. "I was afraid because I was
naked: and I hid myself" (Gen 3:10).
"Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of
which I commanded you that you should not eat.'" asked God (verse 11).
Adam's answer is typical of one who wants to justify himself by
accusing someone else. He didn't think that he should be blamed for his
disobedience. According to Adam, it was the woman's fault! "The woman
whom You gave to be with me. she gave me of the tree, and I ate," he
told God (verse 12).
Did Eve,
then, accept any Blame, No, Her
answer was just as self-justifying and accusatory as Adam's: She, too,
put the blame on someone else, saying. "The serpent deceived me. and I
ate" (verse 1 3).
All things considered, Adam probably thought that the fault for the
whole incident was God's, since God made the serpent who, in turn,
deceived the woman who convinced Adam to eat the fruit.
This reasoning, strange but familial to us all, is called human logic:
It enables us to blame-others for our own shortcomings or wrongdoings.
Rather than admitting and correcting our mistakes. we declare ourselves
innocent and expect others to repent of having been instrumental in our
misbehavior.
Before it's too late, we need to get rid of this
always-wanting-to-find-fault attitude.
Being unwilling to forgive
Do you easily forgive others' For instance, if there is a
misunderstanding between you and another member of your family. are you
willing to recognize your faults and to forgive his? Suppose one of
your friends does something wrong and. afterward, tells you he really
is sorry. Would you forgive him. or would you hold a grudge against
him.?
Most of us don't have a forgiving attitude. We want to get even with
people, vindicate ourselves. prove our own righteousness. But one thing
is sure: If we don't forgive our neighbor. God will not forgive us our
sins.
In the model prayer Christ gave. He taught us to ask God to "Forgive us
our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Malt. 6:12).
Christ added: "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses
(verses 14-15).
God is love, He is always willing to forgive us if we truly repent of
our sins. He wants us to develop this same forgiving altitude. Remember
Christ's answer when Peter asked Him how often he should forgive his
brother? Was it seven times? "Jesus said to him, I do not say to you.
up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven" " (Matt 18:22).
Afterward, Christ spoke of a servant who owed a considerable amount of
money to his master. His master, filled with compassion and showing
mercy, forgave him and canceled the debt.
Shortly thereafter, the same servant was unwilling to write off a small
debt someone else owed him. He "went out . . and he laid hands on him
and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what you owe!" So his fellow
servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying. 'Have patience
with me, and I will pay you all' " (verses 21-29).
But he would not. He threw his fellow servant into prison. Upon hearing
this his own master called him and said: "You wicked servant! I forgave
you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had
compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had
pity On you?" (verses
32:13).
Of what value are these parables if we don't learn the lessons they
contain for our growth?
What would your attitude be if you were arrested on false accusations
and sentenced to die? Suppose your persecutors even mocked you and spat
on you Would your attitude be one of forgiving those who falsely
condemned you?
This actually happened to Stephen. He was arrested, persecuted and
falsely accused His attackers cast him out of the city and stoned him.
But he knelt and "cried out with
a loud voice, 'Lord. do not Charge them with this
sin." And when he had said
this, he fell asleep {died]" (Acts 7:60).
A true Christian should have this type of forgiving attitude at
all times. This is
the attitude Christ Himself had toward His own murderers! He
said, "Father, forgive them, for they
do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34)
When you repent, God completely forgives and forgets your sins. You
cannot enter God's Kingdom unless you learn to forgive your brother's
sins.
Feeling sorry for yourself
Some people are perpetual mourners, they can't stop feeling sorry for
themselves. Suffering from self pity, they consider themselves victims
of circumstance. They seem to be burdened with questions like. "Why
me'' and "Why did it have to happen to me?" Somehow everything always
seems to go wrong, for them, and they convince themselves that they
have no reason to
be happy.
Are you like this? Think of all the seriously handicapped people on
earth who have succeeded despite adverse circumstances. These people
have worked hard in order to, in many eases, achieve simple things that
those of us who are more fortunate take for granted. But whatever their
trials, they had one thing in common: They never pitied themselves —
never let themselves he discouraged or overcome by their physical
handicaps. They didn't waste time complaining about their misfortune.
Are you like this?
Think: If people in the world without God's Spirit - can
succeed despite their handicaps, how much more reason do you and I we
who have God's Spirit of power — have to succeed! God loves you even it
you are Crippled or handicapped. Those
are only temporary physical hindrances, He will never forsake you.
Therefore, be courageous and grateful for what you have.
Stop Complaining about what you don't have. Stop feeling sorry for
yourself, Greatness was never attained through self-pity.
No one will enter God's Kingdom until he learns to appreciate life.
The apostle Paul suffered more than most people. He endured hardship,
persecution and all kinds of false accusations He would have had good
reasons, humanly, to pity himself After all, before his conversion, he
was a well-respected, powerful individual, filled with zeal for a task
he did (Phil. 3:4-6).
When he became a Christian, Paul just about lost everything he had,
including his friends in the world. For a long lime even those in the
Church doubted his conversion and turned away from him. Also, he
continually suffered from a thorn in the flesh some physical handicap
(II Cor. 12:7).
Wouldn't you think that Paul had enough reasons to complain and to pity
himself? But he didn't. Instead, he wrote for our instruction: "Rejoice
in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice!"
(Phil 4:4).
When you rejoice in the Lord you cannot pity yourself. Rejoicing and
pitying are opposites. How did Paul endure suffering and still remain
in a good attitude? What formula
did he use?
Under God's inspiration, he reveals it to
us: "Whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, what ever things are of good report, if there is any
virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these
things" (Phil. 4:8). The greatest curse
in life is when you are cut off from God
— when you are left without His Spirit. But there is
no reason for you to be cut off from God. You are not alone. If you are
a true Christian, you have His Spirit Therefore, whatever your
problems, you a begotten child of God must never feel sorry for
yourself, never pity yourself (I John 3:22). You will always have the
courage to go forward in life in the right altitude.
Feeling "holier than thou"
Some people suffer from an inferiority complex: others have a vain
sense of superiority. How about you? If you pity yourself, it may be
that you suffer from an inferiority complex. On the other hand, if you
think of yourself as being better than others if you are boastful then
you are manifesting a "holier-than-thou" attitude.
Examine yourself! Do you think of yourself as better than others little
more right more generous — more Christian? When you are proven right
and someone else is shown to be wrong about something, do you feel
superior to them as a human being?
"Whoever desires to be first among you," said Christ, "let him be your
slave" (Matt. 20.27).
The book of Proverbs gives us many admonitions regarding vanity,
conceit and self-righteousness. For instance, we read in Proverbs
26:12: "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes'? There is more hope for
a fool than for him." Or, "Every way of a man is right
in his own eyes. But the Lord weighs the
hearts" (Prov. 21:2).
In other words, you might think that you have more going for you than
someone else. You might consider yourself a better
person perhaps a more valuable helper! But whatever your
achievements, however great they may be — if you have conceit in your
heart you are in the wrong attitude. And unless you repent of that
wrong attitude with all your heart, you will never enter the Kingdom of
God.
"Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger. and
not your own lips" (Prov. 27:2)
Read the parable Christ gave about the prayers of a publican and a
Pharisee. The Pharisee, disdaining the publican next to him. had
nothing but good to say about his own attitude, his praiseworthy deeds
and his willingness to sacrifice. But the publican, realizing how
insignificant he was before God, would not even raise his eyes while
praying (Luke 18:9-14). God accepted the publican. but not the Pharisee!
Are you a Pharisee or a publican'? Where is your greatness? What do
you have that you have not received from God? Every blessing comes from
God. All the glory is His (II Cor. 10:17-18).
If you want to be a Christian after God's own heart, then you must get
rid of conceit and boastfulness. You must serve in all humility,
counting others better than yourself (Phil. 2:3). You must help without
seeking glory.
God is not a respecter of persons. He loves us all and wants us all to
be great. But remember The greatest among us is the humblest of all and
the servant of all!
In this area, as well as in the case of every one of God's
commandments, we need to strive mightily to have right attitudes
pleasing to God.
Start the change now — don't put it off! Your
attitude is the key to making you a Christian after God's
own heart — and
will unlock before you the door to the Kingdom of God!
By Dibar K. Apartian, Good News Magazine, January 1983
