ATTITUDES OF THE BELIEVER
Numbers 13:25-30 25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”
30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it
In the book of Numbers chapter 13 & 14 we read God ordering Moses to choose 12 leaders from each tribe and send them to spy on the land of Canaan. Moses instructed them to find the nature of the country, its population and military strength, degree of fertility and physical security. He also asked them to bring some of the fruits that grow there. (It was the season when Grapes were beginning to ripe) Twelve spies spied the land and their observations were same. They found that the land is rich and fertile, (Numbers 13:23-27) and that the inhabitants of Canaan are stronger and they live in cities that are very large and fortified, (Numbers 13:28-29).
But this is where the similarities end. Chapter 13 says except for Caleb and Joshua every one else had already thrown up the cards. Why did the spies act so weirdly? They were controlled by their defeated attitudes. When you perceive something in a certain way it is called your personal attitude. There are defeating attitudes and Winning attitudes
If we all could just have this attitude, ,,
,At the end of a beautiful day, round a college campfire, a blind girl gave thanks: "I've never been able to see the beautiful things you've all been giving thanks for, but then again, I've never had to see any of the awful things you've had to see. I've been blind from birth, but I thank God for my blindness. I've never seen anything. My eyes are virgin eyes. And do you know what their first sight will be? Jesus Christ! I'll see Him when He gives me my new body in heaven." -
(illustration on attitude) Every day, an old man sat in his rocking chair with his granddaughter outside a petrol station, greeting tourists who passed through their town. One day, a man who seemed to be looking for somewhere to live asked, "So what sort of town is this?" "What sort of town do you come from?" the old man replied. The tourist answered, "Everyone criticises everyone. It's really bad." "That's just the way it is here," said the old man. A few days later, another man asked, "So what sort of town is this?" "What sort of town do you come from?" the old man replied again. The tourist answered, "It's great. Everyone gets along so well." "That's just the way it is here," said the old man. After the man left, the granddaughter said, "How come you told the first guy this was a bad place to live, and the second guy this is a great place to live?" "Because wherever you go, you take your attitude with you, and that's what makes it good or bad." -
(illustration ) Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over our nation's deserts. All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants. The vultures live on what was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness and life. Each bird finds what it is looking for. We all do.
We , as believers, need to have a winning attitude....
Phil. 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
OVERCOMING A BAD ATTITUDE
A COWBOY APPLIED FOR HEALTH INSURANCE, AND THE AGENT ROUTINELY
ASKED IF HE HAD ANY ACCIDENTS THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE COWBOY
REPLIED, "NO. BUT I WAS BITTEN BY A RATTLESNAKE, AND A HORSE
KICKED ME IN THE RIBS. THAT LAID ME UP FOR A WHILE."
]THE AGENT SAID, "WEREN'T THOSE ACCIDENTS?"
"NO" REPLIED THE COWBOY, "THEY DID IT ON PURPOSE."
WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN AROUND SNAKES AND HORSES.
IT IS THE NATURAL ATTITUDE OF A SNAKE TO BITE AND A HORSE TO
KICK.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR ATTITUDE? ARE YOU A KICKER OR A BITER BY NATURE?
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: To choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's way.
Phil.2:12-18 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
WE can either have a good attitude, or a bad attitude. Positive, or negative.
The choice is ours.
