Some of you walked in here this morning carrying a heavy load. Some of you are up against the wall in your business. Some of you are in the middle of family conflict that seems almost impossible to resolve. Others are battling personal illness. Still others face problems that I can’t even begin to imagine. And there’s not much light at the end of the tunnel.
About the only thing you can do is to pray, trust God, and have a positive, faith-filled attitude. You are where you are and what you are largely because of the dominating attitudes that occupy your mind. If you allow your negative situation to control your attitude, you might as well turn out the lights because the party’s over. You’re going nowhere - in your relationships, in your career, physically, emotionally and spiritually - with a negative attitude.
There are two key questions to ask in predicting a person’s future. "Can he?" ... which is an issue of ability and "will he?" ... which is an issue of attitude. Attitude is the major difference between success and failure. Our attitude determines our altitude.
Some of us are struggling with an attitude of worthlessness. “I stink.”
Others of us are struggling with an attitude of loveless-ness. “You stink.”
Some of us are struggling with an attitude of bitterness. “Life stinks.”
With a person is really thinking about something, we sometimes say that we can see the gears turning. The gears are always turning. Our minds are always working. In fact, we think so much faster than we can speak. So, the gears are turning. But too often they are turning in the wrong direction. When our attitude in life is negative, the gears are grinding the wrong way. When the gears in our minds are turning in the wrong way, we call it stinkin’ thinkin’.
Defining stinkin’ thinkin’
Worthlessness “I stink” No peace with myself
Loveless-ness “You stink” No peace with others
Bitterness “Life stinks” No peace with God
When we think this way, we are robbed of our peace! We are not at peace with ourselves when we think, “I stink!” We are not at peace with others when we think, “You stink!” We are not at peace with God when we think, “Life stinks!”
That’s why I want to talk to you about how to develop a positive attitude that transcends difficult circumstances.
And let me say at the outset that this is not a message about "the power of positive thinking." We’re not talking about The Little Engine That Could this morning - "I think I can, I think I can." Some of you are facing God-sized problems and you don’t need fluff - you need some God-sized reasons to be positive.
What robs me of my peace? It’s the way I think! I must get rid of stinkin’ thinkin’.
God has the antidote!
Getting rid of stinkin’ thinkin’
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8
In the preceding verses, we have been learning about how to find God’s peace.
God’s Recipe for Peace
1. Celebration: Rejoice in the Lord. v. 4
2. Appreciation: Put up with people. v. 5
3. Supplication: Pray about everything. vv. 6, 7
Today, we want to spend more time on this 4th ingredient in the recipe – getting rid of stinkin’ thinkin’. Why? Because your mind is so important for your spiritual development.
In fact, the Bible says that the weapon we must use when there is spiritual conflict is our mind. II Corinthians tells us that we are to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Proverbs tells us, "As a man thinks within himself, so he is." Rom. 12:2 reminds us that we are to renew our minds. When I have a problem in my spiritual life, I can inevitably trace it to an undisciplined mind. When garbage comes out, it’s because garbage has gone in. Garbage in and, garbage out is not only true for computer programmers. It’s also true for Christian people.
If you are a 21st century American, you have been challenged to think in politically correct ways. But here, we are challenged to think in biblically correct ways! Here, we are being encouraged to get the gears turning the right way. Biblically correct thinking challenges the “I stink”-“You stink”-“Life stinks” world view.
This morning, I want to think about three choices we need to make about biblically correct thinking.
I choose to do biblically correct thinking…
1. … about myself.
This addresses our temptation to develop the attitude of worthlessness.
I must make a confession. I am prone to do what I call “negative navel gazing.” It’s looking at myself and focusing on the flaws I see.
For example, I can deliver what I know to be a good talk, have the sense that God used me in your lives, and even hear from some of you how God spoke to you through it, but hear from one person that it was too harsh or too long or too loud or too heavy or too boring and think, “That message wasn’t really that good after all.”
I’ve been like this for long time. When I played baseball, I could go 2 for 4 with a couple of extra base hits and a few RBIs. Maryanne would tell me, "Great game." I would say, "Man, I popped up on a pitch right down the middle that I should have killed."
I’m guessing that I’m not alone. I’m guessing that some of you do the same thing to yourself. We talk to ourselves in such destructive ways. We don’t see ourselves the way God sees us.
Two questions here. First…
Am I thinking thoughts about myself…
• that are true?
Notice that our verse today says, "What ever things are true...let your mind well on these things." Are you thinking thoughts about yourself that are true?
If you want to know what’s true, where are you going to go? To the Word of God. In John 17:17 Jesus prays to His Father, "Your Word is truth." Psalm 19:9 is talking about the Word of God when it says, "The judgments of the Lord are true." Psalm 119:151 says, “All your Commandments are truth." Because God is truth, what He says is truth. That’s why we can trust this book. It’s His Word. So, if you want to know the truth, you go to the Word of God. It’s the focus and the locus of all truth. So if I’m going to think on whatever is true, I’m going to dwell on the Word of God first of all.
Let’s be very practical about this. Some of us have come to church today thinking thoughts that are not true. You’re thinking, “This week I have sinned against God. I have done something horrible this week. Therefore, Christ must be accusing me before the Father rather than accepting me before the Father.” Some of you have been there. Some of you probably live there. That is how you see Christ. You see him as against you rather than for you.
But the whole message of the gospel is that Christ is pro me! He is for me, he is not against me! In Romans 8 we read these words, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Even a Christian can slide back into a dark way of thinking. This kind of theology is a theology of doubt, a theology of despair, a theology of hopelessness, and a theology that breeds fear in the soul. So, let me ask. Have you forgotten the truth? Have you forgotten the good news of the gospel? How do you see God? Do you see him as for you? Despite your sins and your failure this week, he is for you. But do you see him as against you?
Am I thinking thoughts about myself that are true?
• that are right?
Notice that our verse today says, “Whatever is right... let your mind dwell on these things. " And the word could actually be translated “righteous” here. Am I thinking thoughts that are righteous – that are right in line with what God says about us?
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works;
and that my soul knows right well.
Psalms 139:14
I’m going to stop the gears from turning the wrong way. I’m going to start the gears turning the right way. I choose to do biblically correct thinking about myself.
2. … about my family and friends.
This addresses the temptation we have to develop attitudes of loveless-ness. It’s way too easy for some of us to be harsh and critical about our family and friends. We tend to accentuate the negative that we see in their lives.
Am I thinking thoughts about others…
• that are lovely?
Our verse for today says, "Whatever is lovely… think on these things." Lovely means “winsome,” “pleasing,” “attractive,” “amiable.” It’s describing something sweet or gracious or generous or patient. We are to think thoughts about others that serve to cultivate and increase love, friendship, and goodwill among family members and friends.
But how many times do we look for the flaws and look for the faults, not only ourselves, but also in the very people that we say we love the most? We do think about the good qualities of our lives or husbands or children. Instead, we fixate on what’s wrong with them.
I love what Josh McDowell taught us when he was here a few months ago. He taught parents to look at their children and say, "Gotcha! I caught you doing something right!" That’s the point here. Look for something lovely in the lives of others.
Of course there will be problems that we see in peoples lives. In fact, the Bible tells us to acknowledge one another. God tells us to discipline our children. You can’t admire someone or discipline them without seeing something that needs to be fixed. But we must never fixate on what needs to be fixed. We must be people who also sees the loveliness in others.
This past week, our decorating committee were showing the staff the colors they are considering for the carpet and tile in the new building. We already know in advance that not everyone is going to like the colors that will be chosen. When we go into the building, we will be tempted to think, “Why’d you choose this color? Why’d you build it this way? That looks like a dumb place for a wall! I think this age group should be here and that age group should be there!" When we are all tempted to be that worthy, I want you to think back to this verse. Much to ask yourself, "Am I thinking thoughts that are lovely about the people who made these decisions? Do I truly believe that they have done the absolute best job they could possibly do?"
Some of us quite frankly had a tendency to be negative and critical and judgmental. It violates and destroys our own peace.
Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things hidden in the darkness, and expose the motives on men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise shall come to him from God.
I Corinthians 4:5
Am I thinking thoughts about others that are lovely?
• that are pure?
Our verse says, "Whatever is pure… think on these things.” It speaks of the morally clean, undefiled. Whatever is morally pure and morally clean, I will think on that, not the other junk.
I’m going to stop the gears from turning the wrong way. I’m going to start the gears turning the right way. I choose to do biblically correct thinking about my family and friends.
3. … about my circumstances.
This addresses our temptation to develop the attitude of bitterness – life stinks! And when you think about it, it really is saying that we don’t like what God is doing in our lives.
She has every reason to be bitter.
Though talented, she went unrecognized for years. Prestigious opera circles closed their ranks when she tried to enter. American critics ignored her compelling voice. She was repeatedly rejected for parts for which she easily qualified. It was only after she went to Europe and won the hearts of tough-to-please European audiences that stateside opinion leaders acknowledged her talent.
Not only has her professional life been a battle, her personal life has been marked by challenge. She’s the mother of two handicapped children, on of whom is severely retarded. Years ago, in order to escape the hectic pace of life in New York City, she purchased a home on Martha’s Vineyard. It burned to the ground two days before she was to move in.
Professional rejection, personal setbacks - perfect soil for the seeds of bitterness and negativity.
But her friends don’t call her bitter; they call her "Bubbles." Her real name is Beverly Sills, internationally acclaimed opera singer, retired director of the New York City Opera, a person who Mike Wallace, of CBS’ 60 Minutes, called "one of the most impressive - if not the most impressive - women I’ve interviewed."
How can a person handle such professional rejection and personal trauma and still be known as Bubbles? "I choose to be cheerful," she says. "Years ago, I knew I had little or no choice about success or circumstances ... But I knew I could choose to be cheerful."
Chuck Swindoll writes, "The remarkable thing [about human beings] is that we have a choice everyday 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 to play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude."
Am I thinking thoughts about my circumstances…
• that are honorable?
That means worthy of respect. Whatever is noble, whatever is dignified, whatever is reverent, whatever is lofty, not trashy, mundane, common. The word really comes from a term meaning to worship. Whatever is worthy of awe, whatever is held in high regard, whatever is greatly respected, whatever is worthy of adoration, that’s what I think about.
• that are worthy of praise?
Does you attitude about life give God the praise He deserves?
I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good… I will rejoice over them to do them good…
Jeremiah 32:40, 41
Dave Meyers and I spoke at a funeral recently for Mike Zachwiejah. He died for his young man, a father of 3, from cancer. A few months before he died, I took my son, Alan, with me to visit him. He was a big strong man confined to wheelchair. You can tell that he wanted nothing more than to get out of that wheelchair to play with his children in embrace his wife. But he couldn’t. Yet his words were faith-filled. He didn’t have an attitude of bitterness. I don’t think I’ll forget his words throughout all eternity. Alan and I talked about him on our way home. He said several times, "God is good to me, a sinful man."
He was thinking thoughts about his circumstances that were biblically correct. His thoughts honored God. His thoughts were worthy of praise.
What about you? How you think about life’s negative circumstances? Are you convinced that God is good even when life seems to stink?
I’m going to stop the gears from turning the wrong way. I’m going to start the gears turning the right way. I choose to do biblically correct thinking about my circumstances.
Last week, we considered John 16:33. Let’s read it again.
In me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
I want to remind you that the peace comes when we are "in Christ." Jesus said, "In me you may have peace." Jesus is stressing the location of peace. It is in himself! He doesn’t say that peace is in transcendental meditation. He doesn’t say that peace is in religion. He doesn’t say that peace is in a job, in a location, or in some human relationship. He doesn’t say that peace is in financial security. He says that it’s in me. True peace can be found nowhere other than in Jesus! He’s called the Prince of Peace!
No matter what’s going on around us, we can still have peace because we have a deeper life, an unseen life, in Jesus! Friends, whenever the gears are grinding the wrong way, whenever you are afflicted with stinking thinking, whenever you have been attacked within attitude of worthlessness or loveless-ness or bitterness, go to the Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever the cares of life weigh you down and your way seems hard, go to your Lord! You can find other sources of temporary, counterfeit peace. But they will eventually fail. The peace that is found in Jesus is the peace that will never fail!
I remind you of what we considered last week…
No Christ. No peace.
Know Christ. Know peace.
