Stinking Thinking 1
John 1:10-13
‘He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’
We have inside of us the potential to mature and grow in God. The reality of abundant life is within our reach. We CAN become stronger, closer, wiser, and better. We CAN become more unified, more spiritualified, and more glorified. Every test and every trial pressures and motivates us to dig and search internally for an uncommon resolve.
The fear of failure, of hypocrisy, of inadequacy can be overcome! We can prevail over our dependency of other’s opinions, our addiction to self, and our need to lean on the wisdom of man!
Its not good fortune, good luck or good looks that give us victory; its FAITH! I hear, I believe, I become. Our attitude is one major factor to either healthy belief or destructive unbelief. Too many times we are bothered with Stinking Thinking.
A bad attitude= negative, blaming, dissatisfied, critical.
Good – Positive, responsible, content, helpful.
We could be poisoning everyone and everything around us and because of false pride and arrogance we never realize it. We affect others around us. Our attitude is contagious. Then when everything gets bad, we blame others. Stinking thinking blinds us from realizing and recognizing our own problems, and magnifies other people’s.
This is the stumbling block to progress for many. This becomes the wall that keeps us from moving closer, getting wiser, maturity.
2 stinking attitudes:
Lip Service & Grandeur
Lip Service – shamming. Mouthing insincere statements. Telling others what they want to hear. Superficial compliance. A sham to make self look good.
Not lying: lying is out and out fraud. When we lie, we know we are not being truthful and hope we don’t get caught. Lip Service is more like wishful thinking. We half believe what we are saying or praying. Totally sincere at that moment, but lack the follow through.
You can’t flap your lips and wish your words will come true on their own. Talk is cheap. Victory requires action, change, commitment and work.
Lip Service is dangerous to spirituality because we start to think that quoting scripture and talking religiously and saying AMEN at the right time is the same as looking honestly into our hearts and exchanging the scandalous in for the splendorous.
Lip service won’t work because we can fool man, but not God. If you find yourself saying:
‘I promise I’ll never do it again’
‘I learned my lesson this time’
‘I think the Bible is great, but…”
‘I’m going to pray it through and get over it as soon as…’
Remember: we usually believe our own lip service at the moment. Following through is how you tell the difference from a fraud and a fact. It’s not what we say; it’s what we do that counts.
Don’t just be a ‘pleaser’. So folks will be nice. So folks will stay off your back. So you can get your way. Lip service is INSINCERITY. I think there is sin in that. The opposite of Lip service is commitment.
2. Grandeur. The opposite of low self-esteem. Over inflated opinion of self. Ol’ wind bags. A person suffering from this attitude thinks that ordinary laws are beneath him. Rules are for fools.
This attitude makes people think they can get away with little things. I could go to a bar and sit next to a lewd woman and never be tempted. I could continue to hang out with the crowd and do the same old things and not be pulled down.
I could smoke an occasional doobie, Social drink, and rob a small bank. That’s moderation! I am better, smarter, and more worthy than others. (Unteachable). Somehow, someway I can beat the rules. I just know I can stay lazy and demanding and never reap what I sow.
Low self-esteem – the dislike is aimed inward. Grandeur is aiming outwardly – at rules, at people, at loved ones, at bosses, at God. Our society has produced a generation of egotistical smart-alecky, lippy, disrespectful youths.
This attitude has been around since the devil and gets bolder and braver every day. We were horrified to see a child tell his momma NO. Now that 8 year old kid is ready to cuss everybody out. They grow up and nobody can tell them anything.
They get a job and nobody can tell them anything. They get a family and nobody can tell them anything. Instead of listening, they got a big mouth. Instead of humility they are pompous and arrogant. Instead of trying to understand they prefer to be ignorant.
Listen – it is not Gods will that we please man. It is not God’s will for His children to think more highly of themselves than they should.
In honesty we seek the Lord and become aware of our downfalls. In that same honesty we seek His help and strength to overcome.
‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’
Victorious people know how to accept responsibility. Stinker thinkers blame every problem on others.
Ask yourself: Am I being accurate? Accountable? Accepting?
If you believe then you have the power to become. This is Gods will. Not mans will, not the will of the flesh – it is God’s will that you become exactly like Jesus. The attitude you choose to entertain is going to uplift your soul and everyone around you or it will discourage, disrupt and disrespect your soul and everyone else around you too.
