Christ-Like Attitude

Text: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

All of us have an attitude. Sometimes our attitude is positive and brings about a good outlook and sometimes it is negative and projects a bad image for the rest of the day. A positive attitude will put a smile on our face whereas a bad attitude will cause that smiley face to turn upside down and become a face with a frown.

Attitude is a feeling toward or in regard to some sort of matter. For example, some people cannot get started in the morning without a cup or two of coffee. If the coffee pot does not work, the individual gets upset and lets everyone else know they are upset. Chances are the person will be miserable the rest of the day and in turn will make everyone else miserable.

When an employee is reprimanded by his manager or supervisor for some matter, there is a chance the employee will develop a negative attitude toward that manager. If a negative attitude becomes the norm for an employee, the employee could be terminated or let go from the company.

On the other hand, if an employee always exhibits a positive attitude, that employee will be looked at as a positive asset to that company. The employee will do whatever needs to be done to satisfy the desires of his or her superiors. Little or nothing will bother the person with a positive attitude and their positive attitude will radiate outward to co-workers.

This same thing happens in churches. There are people in churches who do not want to be called upon to lend a hand, but when other people pitch in to work for the good of the church, these people develop an attitude toward the people who are helping. They may perceive the helpers as just looking for a pat on the back or getting on the good side of the minister or just showing their importance.

People can form attitudes about many things:

1. their spouse

2. their children

3. their friends

4. their job

5. drivers on the roads

6. education

7. political issues

8. computers

9. television programs

10. etc.

Charles Swindoll said this about attitude:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…church…a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.

My attitude and your attitude should be Christ-like.

God’s attitude toward mankind was an attitude of love. When He created man, He created man in His own image. Scripture says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).

God has no physical body, but He created us to reflect His image or his character of love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, faithfulness, compassion, humility, and gentleness.

When disobedience in the Garden entered the picture sin came into the world. Disobedience to the will of God is a sin. Disobedience brought a separation between God and mankind. There was a void in this relationship. God’s heart was broken, but His love was so strong that He decided to give man another chance or another opportunity so spend eternity in His presence.

John recorded these words: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

When the baby Jesus was born, this was God in human form. Jesus was both God and man. He was completely human and He was completely divine. Paul put it this way: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).

Jesus is our salvation and He gives us everything we need to live a righteous life. The Cross is what bridges the gap or the void between God the Father and sinful man. God’s great love for us is seen in the blood of Jesus as it flowed from His body and dripped on the wood of the Cross and the ground beneath the Cross.