Battling With A Bad Attitude

The reason we do not want to be around such people is because they are miserable and they make everyone around them miserable.

Illus: A guy named Matt received a parrot for his birthday. The parrot was fully-grown, with a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every other word was an expletive. Those that weren’t expletives were, to say the least, rude. Matt tried hard to change the bird's attitude and was constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, anything he could think of to try and set a good example. Nothing worked. He yelled at the bird and the bird yelled back. He shook the bird and the bird just got angrier and ruder.

One day this parrot got really worked up, so Matt thought he would cool him off by putting him in the freezer for five minutes. For a few moments he heard the bird squawk and kick and scream. Then suddenly there was quiet. Not a sound for half a minute. Matt was frightened that he might have hurt the bird and quickly opened the freezer door.

The parrot calmly stepped out onto Matt's extended arm and said, "I believe that I might have offended you with my rude language and actions. I will endeavor to correct my behavior. I really am truly sorry and beg your forgiveness."

Matt was astonished at the bird's change in attitude and was about to ask what had made such a dramatic change, when the parrot continued, "May I ask what the chicken did?"

We see a lot of people that need an attitude adjustment.

Illus: A man with a bad attitude went into a restaurant and said with anger in his voice,

• “Do you serve crabs here?”

• The waiter said, “Why, yes sir, we serve anybody here.”

Illus: There is an old saying:

• Smile and the whole world will smile with you

• Frown and the whole world will frown with you

This falls under the law of, SOWING and REAPING.

Many think that because some bad things have happened to them it gives them the right to have a BAD ATTITUDE! Just because something bad has happen to us, does not mean we have to have a BAD ATTITUDE!

Illus: A chaplain was speaking to a soldier in a hospital.

• He said, “I see you lost an arm in the great cause!”

•“No,” said the soldier with a smile. “I didn’t lose it--I gave it.”

Webster defines “attitude” as: a manner of acting, feeling or thinking that shows one’s disposition and mood.

John Maxwell says, “Your attitude determines your altitude.”

Illus: A pilot has an instrument on the dash of his airplane that is called an attitude indicator.

• This instrument shows the position of a plane with regards to the horizon.

• It lets the pilot know when the nose of the plane is above or below the horizon.

Listen, the attitude of an individual determines his or hers performance in life.

• Bad attitudes have destroyed careers

• Bad attitudes have destroyed marriages

• Bad attitudes have destroyed the lives of children

• Bad attitudes have destroyed churches

From these popular songs titles, which one best describes your “attitude” today?

• “Make The World Go Away”

• “Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head”

• “I Did It My Way”

• “Alive And Kicking”

• “Another One Bites The dust”

• “Please Catch Me…I’m Falling”

•“Oh, What a Beautiful Morning”

Let’s look at the GOOD and BAD attitudes that people have.

We need to look at-

I. THE CAUSE OF BAD ATTITUDES

Our ATTITUDES are determined by a variety of things.

A. OUR PARENTS

I don’t think I have to convince you that from birth, we are already messed up! Before we take that first breath we are damaged goods!

Illus: A father was trying to teach his son about a positive attitude when it came to his son’s math grade.

• The son said, “Dad, I think I’m going to flunk my math class.”

• Dad quickly responded, “Son, that’s very negative. Be more positive.”

• So then his son said, “Dad, I’m sure I’m going to flunk my math class.”

It is a fact of life, our GOOD and BAD attitudes come from our PARENTS. Some have taught their child POSITIVE THINGS and these children have grown up with a GOOD ATTITUDE, and now God can use them for His glory!

When a child is placed in our care at birth, we have a tremendous influence in the way their attitude will be developed.

Illus: For example:

• A father has a BAD ATTITUDE about policemen. He has instilled in his son that all policemen are crooks. Now he has a grown son, and guess what? His son thinks all policemen are crooks.