Mastering Attitudes
Philippians 4:8
1. The Consideration of Our Attitude.
We all probably know someone that has a bad attititude about life! Aren’t they annoying!
I still remember last year when I went to Washington D.C. on a Pastor’s tour of the Capital. At the airport standing in line to check in, I noticed that the man in front of me had tied mistletoe on his baggage. I kept thinking to myself, “Why”?
Finally I asked, “Sir is that mistletoe on your luggage?” He, “yes!” I said, I’ve never seen that before. Why do you do that?” He said, “So you can kiss your luggage good-bye one you give it to them!”
That’s a bad attititude…although it’s partly true sometimes!
You know, I’ve seen some faces that look like they should be on the cover of the Book of Lamentations! Let me ask… if you just inherited General Motors would you feel like someone would outlaw cars? Is the bird singing outside your window a buzzard?
Webster defines “attitude” as: a manner of acting, feeling or thinking that shows one’s disposition and mood.
This word attitude is used when flying an airplane. An “attitude indicator” shows the position of a plane with regards to the horizon.
An “attitude indicator” lets the pilot know when the nose of the plane is above or below the horizon.
You could say that the performance of a plane depends on its attitude! And that triggered my thinking. Doesn’t the attitude of an individual determine his or hers performance in life?
John Maxwell says, “Your attitude determines your altitude.”
The Example Jesus Gives Us: (Philippians 2:3-8)
· His attitude made him selfless. Vs. 3,4
· His attitude made him secure. Vs. 6,7
· His attitude made him submissive. Vs. 8
Philippians 2:5 “Your attitude should be the same that Jesus Christ had.” NLT
From these popular songs titles, which one best describes your “attitude indicator” today?
· “Make The World Go Away”
· “Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head”
· “I Did It My Way”
· Oh’ What a Beautiful Morning”
2. The Foundation of Our Attitude.
Victor Frankl, a Jewish doctor who survived Hitler’s hellish chambers. The Nazi’s killed his family, beat him everyday, starved him, placed a permanent tattoo on his arm to always remind him of the imprisonment.
When the war was over Dr, Frankl was not bitter or broken because he never bowed his attitude to such lowness. He wrote in his book these incredible words, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms, to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance....”
The strength of any building is its foundation just as the strength of any attitude is its foundation!
After 9/11, for the longest time there was a makeshift sign hanging from the remains of the Twin Towers. It read, “The human spirit is not measured by the size of the act but the size of the heart.”
That’s the attitude that no terrorist can conquer! Why? One word – foundation!
4 Foundational Truths About One’s Attitude:
a. A child’s first years are the most important for the right attitudes.
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!
I’ve heard some complained about raising children in today’s messed up world. They said…
The litter is unbearable, the sonic booms are incredible, the tuna isn’t edible, the diseases are incurable, the billboards are unspeakable, the slums are incurable, the smog is unendurable, the problems seem unsolvable, the people are unforgivable and life had become intolerable!”
Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
This is why parents have to take control of their child’s environment before the environment takes control over them! In those early developmental years, a child develops attitudes that quickly become as hard as cement.
Keep in mind that as parents we pass on certain attitudes to our children! As parents we must always take inventory of negative attitudes and get rid of them quickly!
Too many parents think that it’s the School’s job to train up their child! It’s starts in the HOME! Schools can’t even teach little Johnny how to read and write, how can someone think that a school can teach little Johnny how to live successfully?
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
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 positive I’m going to flunk my math class.”
b. The more attitudes grow on truth the more solid they become.
No matter what your age, truth makes a huge difference in our lives! Everyday we must constantly reinforce this principle by making it a habit to input the best resources into our brain.
2 Peter 1:12 “I plan to keep reminding you of these things – even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth.”
c. There is no such thing as a flawless attitude.
In other words we all have attitudes that needs remodeling at times! O.K. call it “attitude adjustments”!
Just as a car has to have a tune up at times in order to perform at it’s peak, life has a way of messing up our attitudes.
d. God can make the most positive influence on an attitude.
John 16:33 “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without complaining and disputing.”
Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayers and…with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.”
Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 42:11 “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Hope in God.”
What a foundation to build our attitude on!
3. The Destruction of Our Attitude.
4 Areas That Will Crash One’s Attitudes:
a. The forsaking of church.
Hebrews 10:25 “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together…”
If this church is not able to encourage your attitude and empower your mind from Sunday to Sunday, then this leadership has failed!
b. The forgetfulness of praise and thanksgiving.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks.”
What a great attitude reminder!
Throughout the Bible people have seen God do His greatest work because of praise and thanksgiving!
I practice this all the time and it works! It’s a biblical principle that is forgotten by many in times of difficulty! If we want to see God’s supernatural power, we must express our praise and gratitude to Him!
c. The fear of taking risks.
Life is full of risks!
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk revealing your true feelings. To place your ideas and your dreams before a crowd is to risk rejection. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying and to hope is to risk despair!
Did you know that…
· Henry Ford forgot to put a reverse gear in his first car that came off the assembly line.
· Thomas Edison invested 2 million dollars on one invention that proved worthless.
· Abraham Lincoln failed in business in 1831, was defeated for legislature in 1832, his fiancée died in 1835, only 1 of his sons lived past the age of 18, he was defeated for Congress in 1848, defeated for Senate in 1855, defeated for vice-president in 1856, defeated for Senate again in 1858 and then he was finally elected president in 1860!
Up until 1860 you could say that Lincoln was washed up!!
To climb out on the limb is the only way to get the fruit! The way I see a lot of Christians today, they spend more time hugging the tree than getting out on the limb!
Where would Christianity be today had the average men and women never taken above average risks?
2 Timothy 1:7 “God has not given us a spirit (attitude) of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind.”
d. The feeling of self-pity.
If that describes you today – I’ve got 3 words for you – “GET OVER IT!”
It’s impossible to figure the number of jobs lost, sales missed, marriages ruined and churches destroyed by whiny, thumb-sucking, pity-potty people without the focus or the fortitude to succeed in life!!!
If these 4 areas are not dealt with in a hurry, they will cause our attitudes to crash and burn and then we’re good for no one -including God!!
4. The Transformation of Our Attitude.
Have you ever considered that you’re only an attitude away from success?
Sometimes that great work has to be done on our attitudes!
Change in our attitudes come when we remember 3 facts:
a. The choice within us.
Proverbs 23:7 “As a man thinks within himself, so is he.”
Remember what Victor Frankl said …“The last great freedom…to choose ones attitude in any given circumstance.”
You’re a new creation in Christ – which includes your attitude! The old man with the old attitude is to be dead!
You wake up everyday with a choice of which attitude is going to dominate your children, marriage and feelings today!
b. The people around us.
Look for:
· Powerful people that can challenge your bad attitude!
· Positive people that can influence your good attitude!
Look at the people around you if you really want to be transformed! If you’re dating, these better be qualities in that person. In your marriage, tell your spouse that you need their help.
c. The God above us.
Philippians 1:6 “Be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a great work in you will complete it...”
Here’s a formula that I believe helps us master our attitude…
If you want to be distressed –look within
If you want to be defeated – look back
If you want to be distracted – look around
If you want to dismayed – look ahead
If you want to be delivered – look up!
