Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 ESV
There is a lot of hatred in our world today. It’s easy to have a negative attitude with all that is going on. As Christians, however, we must remember who is in control. We must focus on Him.
Some things are a big deal or really important for Christians. First, we must love the Lord with all our heart, all our mind, and all our strength. Secondly, praising and worshipping God in His house is important. And today we are talking about our attitudes.
Our attitude is an outward sign of what’s in our hearts. It dictates how we handle certain situations and how we treat others. It’s hard to fake an attitude. It usually shows through. We certainly can’t fake our attitude with God. God told Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7, “…for man sees what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.”
In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said, “The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God.”
If we want to change our attitude, we have to change our hearts. I know from personal experience this isn’t so easy to do. Let me say it took a lot of prayer. Every time I felt negativity and bitterness creeping in, I had to take that thought captive. I had to stop myself. We are told in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that we demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ. As soon as you feel that negative thought creeping in there, take it captive. Pray for God to remove any anger and bitterness, or hatred from your heart.
When I had been deeply hurt, I prayed for the person who had hurt me. This helped, but I still often had feelings of bitterness and resentment. It took a lot of taking thoughts captive and a lot of prayer to get to a point where my anger and bitterness were replaced with compassion, but remember, God can do anything.
It’s also important to remember that we are told in Psalm 37:1-2, “Do not fret because of evil doers, nor be envious of workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like grass, and wither as the green herb.” Let God take care of those who come against you.
Another thing that helps our attitude is to focus on the good things. Focus on all God has done for you. Focus on the blessings God has provided for you. We are told in Philippians 4:6-7 not to be anxious but to bring everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving, and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds through Jesus. In verse 8, we are told to focus on all that is simple and pure and good and truthful. Christ is all these things; we should focus on Him, not on those who intend to cause trouble for us. He will take care of them.
Our attitude is a big deal because it’s what others see. We can’t be an effective witness for God if we walk around with negativity and bitterness in our hearts. The rest of the world has that; remember, we have to look different as Christians. We were made in God’s image, and we are to do our best to imitate Him as His dearly loved children (Ephesians 5:1).
When you feel negativity creeping in, take that thought captive. Focus on God and His mercy and goodness. Pray for those who come against you. Trust in Him to take care of all the rest.
This will help you to have a positive attitude filled with gratitude. This is the will of God, and this pleases Him. That’s why our attitude is a big deal.
Have a great day!