The Right Foundation for a Good attitude
Philippians 2:1-14
What word describes what will determine our happiness, acceptance, peace and success?
Attitude!
We live in an angry world, surrounded by angry people. We can give all kinds of excuses for being an angry person, but none of them really make an angry attitude the only option. I went out to visit our friend Bruce Thursday. If you remember he had surgery for a brain tumor 6 months ago, and they couldn’t get it all. They gave him 3 days to 3 weeks to live. .....He said, I’m not going to feel sorry for myself, and I don’t want anyone else to either. If you are going to come out to feel sorry for me don’t come. I’m going to be here until the Good Lord says its time, and then I’ll be gone. If I can help someone else going through this I’ll be glad to. I’ve shared in church, and I’ll probably share again before its all over. He is Living with uncertainty. He admitted he didn’t have this attitude in the beginning, and I know I was there. At first he was angry at God for not letting him die quickly. But he allowed God to change his attitude. That is the good news I want you to get today. No matter how bad your attitude was when you came in here, you and God can change it.
“The attitude is an inward feeling expressed by behavior” John Maxwell p6 Your Attitude
Our expressions usually reflect our inward feelings.
"Your attitude always decides your altitude in life" ~
Zig Ziglar
Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% your reaction to it.
1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. 4 Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. 5 Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7 He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8 And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross.
I The Foundational Wrong Attitudes to Avoid v3-4
A. Selfishness -Selfish ambition (Me, My, MINE)
Magic Johnson p634 Nelsons complete book of ills.
B. Pride -Vain conceit -Conceited
Like the angry man who jumped out of his car after a collision with another car. “Why don’t you people watch where you’re driving?” he shouted wildly, “You’re the fourth car I’ve hit today!”
C. Superiority - Thinking yourself better than others
D. Only Thinking About Yourself - Only your own interests
Swedish wrestler stripped of bronze medal 2008
BEIJING (AP)—A Swedish wrestler was disqualified and stripped of his bronze medal Saturday for dropping the prize in protest after a disputed loss at the Beijing Olympics.
Ara Abrahamian was punished by the International Olympic Committee for violating the spirit of fair play during the medal ceremony, becoming the fourth athlete kicked out of the games and bringing the number of medals removed to three.
Abrahamian became incensed when a disputed penalty call decided his semifinal match against Italian Andrea Minguzzi, who went on to win the gold medal in the Greco-Roman 84-kilogram division Thursday.
During the medal ceremony, the Armenian-born Abrahamian—who also lost a 2004 Olympic semifinal match on a disputed call—took the bronze from around his neck and, angrily, dropped it on the mat as he walked away. He did not take part in the rest of the medal ceremony.
II The Foundational Model - Christ Philippians 2:5-8 (Selfless, Secure 6,7, Submissive)
A. Gave up his Rights (Privileges)- v6
-In a world demanding their rights and their way
B. Became a servant (Mark 10:45)
C. Obedient to higher authority
D. Unselfish
Unselfish OSU Linebackers
COLUMBUS (AP) - Marcus Freeman doesn’t mind staying in the background while All-American James Laurinaitis gets all the attention.
Freeman and the third starting linebacker, Ross Homan, along with Spitler, might be stars at another Top 25 program. But at Ohio State, they’re just considered bit players to the megastar who wears No. 33.
Laurinaitis recognizes the problem he creates.
"Marcus is a terrific player," Laurinaitis said. "His physical abilities are unbelievable. He has great leadership, he obviously is explosive, he’s fast, he’s unbelievably strong.
"He just does his job silently."
While Freeman and the others labor "silently," almost everything Laurinaitis does is trumpeted by media, fans, coaches and national pundits.
And that seems to be OK with everybody.
"James is a great football player," said Homan, a sophomore in his first year as a starter. "We look at it as an opportunity to get better, to learn from James."
Homan, who has blond, close-cropped hair and is about the same size as Laurinaitis, did let it get to him one time when he went to a charity event that Laurinaitis couldn’t attend.
"He calls me afterward and he was mad," Laurinaitis said, relishing the retelling. "He said, ’I swear, if one more little kid comes up to me and says, ’James, can I get your autograph?’ I’m going to flip out."’
Freeman, who struck up a friendship with Laurinaitis three years ago, has no desire to face the media scrutiny or to be singled out when the defense doesn’t play well. Laurinaitis fills those roles. When you have such a great linebacker like James, it’s tough to be in that spotlight. But at the same time, you get an opportunity that a lot of people want to see him play and you’re able to showcase your talent," he said. "There’s a lot of pros, but I don’t see too many cons. If you’re eager for that spotlight, then maybe you’re not happy. But the good thing about us linebackers, we’re not selfish guys."
III The Foundational Truths v1-2
Our attitudes are shaped by our beliefs and our experiences. There are a lot of secular people preaching the value of positive attitudes which is biblical, but they have no foundation for it. The appeal the Bible makes here to positive attitudes is rooted in what we have already received from God. (V1-2) It is not just to be successful, or to make money, but because God has given us so much.
George Foreman - “The truth is, my relationship with God is the reason I have such a positive outlook on life. Before I found Christ I was blind...but when Jesus came into my life, He opened my eyes and started showing me all the good things that I couldn’t see previously. God changed my heart and altered the way I view everything.”
“Granted it is possible to think positively without having Jesus in your heart. But without him, you’ll never have His lasting perspective on the issues you’re dealing with or going through. For those who love Him, He has promised to make something good out of everything that happens to us. That right there is the reason I can have a positive attitude in every situation.” p69 God in my Corner
1. God Love Me - The creator values me. Valuable and Loved
2. God has a good plan for my life -Purpose
3. God will never leave me. Presence
4. God is my helper AID
5. God will supply all my needs Provider
6. God has given me eternal life through Jesus Future
7. God will cause all things (even the bad) to work together for my good. Overseer -
IV YOUR ATTITUDE is Your Choice v2
It is not as easy to change as behavior, but your still choose your behavior. Your feelings are not fully under your control, but your attitude is.
When you have these foundational beliefs and Christ Jesus as your model you can have a great attitude. Your attitude is your choice. In verse two he calls them to do three things ..., but if they didn’t have a choice he couldn’t ask them to do it. In verse 3 he calls for a change of attitude, again because with Christ living within, change is possible. V5 Let this attitude be in you, which means it can also not be in you.
OSU Quarterbacks
"I want him to push me," Boeckman says of Pryor. "I want him to make me a better quarterback, a better player and a better team leader."
Boeckman has faced an onslaught of queries about Pryor’s possible role, and he has answered them graciously.
Pryor has been asking him a lot of questions about OSU’s system, and Boeckman finds that encouraging. "That’s one of the greatest things you can do as a young player and earn your respect," Boeckman says.
Humble
Coach Jim Tressel points out that as soon as he gave his commitment, Pryor asked for Boeckman’s cellphone number to send a text message, another gesture that went over well with the Buckeyes.
" ’I want to tell him I can’t wait to come and learn from him,’ " Tressel says Pryor told him. "Really, ever since then, they’ve had some communication." (Zanesville Times Recorder online)
Conclusion: 14 In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them.
Your attitude is how People see Jesus in you. You don’t want them to see this in you if you call yourself by Christ’s name.
Kicking and screaming: Cuban pops ref, ban could follow
BEIJING — The referee needed stitches in his lip after being kicked in the face Saturday by an angry loser in the semifinals of Olympic taekwondo. In addition to seeking a lifetime ban of the fighter from Cuba, the Seoul-based World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) said it may press legal charges. The incident involving 31-year-old Cuban fighter Angel Valodia Matos occurred following his loss in a 176-pound semifinal to Cha Dongmin of South Korea.
The referee, identified on the match report as Klay Thomas of Switzerland, declared the South Korean the winner after Matos did not come out to fight after a 60-second injury timeout. There is a 60-second limit on injury time.
Thomas signaled Cha as the winner. Then came the kick from Matos, Olympic champion in 2000.
"(The) right side of the (referee’s) lip required stitches to deal with that wound inflicted by the undesirable individual," said Yang.
