Attitude: The Key To Your Success
Have you ever told your child (or have been told) to change your attitude? Why? What happens when we have a sour attitude? Everything goes downhill fast!
Everything you see or do goes through the filter of your attitude. The wonderful thing about it is it’s the one thing we have total control over. It doesn’t matter what situation you’re in; your attitude can be changed.
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A Powerful Testimony
If you’ve been around this ministry for any amount of time, you are familiar with my dad. If not, you can get to know him through our daily devotions, which he writes. Dad is king when it comes to choosing his attitude. He has gone through four different types of cancer with the accompanying surgeries and treatments. Through it all, he made it his goal to control the one thing he could – his attitude.
He purposed to be kind to the nurses and doctors and worked hard to exceed the expectations they wanted to see – even though he didn’t feel like it. He also purposed never to complain, which, if you’ve had any surgery or been through chemo, you know that’s not an easy feat. He worked to find humor all around him – even at the Mayo Clinic.
The Real Battle
Although you can’t control your circumstances, you can control how you react to them. Your attitude determines the direction of your days and, eventually, your life. Three things affect our attitudes that we need to be aware of.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
We first must recognize that most battles we face are in the spirit. Now, sickness is obviously a war taking place in the flesh. But the real battle is the one being waged between your ears. The devil attacks your soul, which is your mind, will, and emotions. If he can get you to bow in your mind, he has you where he wants you!
The scripture says we have the weapons we need to pull down the strongholds, arguments, and thoughts and to bring them into captivity to the obedience of Christ. What are strongholds? They are your limiting beliefs about yourself and your situation. Through Christ and His power at work in us, we can renew our minds with the Word of God. The more Word goes in, the more territory in your mind you will claim for victory.
Ephesians 4:23 in the amplified version says, “And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude].” Being constantly renewed is the key. In the same way, our bodies must be cleaned and taken care of constantly; our minds require the same degree of attention. Therefore, we must become keenly aware of what we put into our minds. What are we watching, listening to, and reading? Who are we around the most, and do they help us grow or keep us down?
3 Attributes of Attitude
Attitude is a choice. You can control the smile on your face and the volume of your voice. For example, have you ever been yelling at your kids when the phone rings? Do you answer the phone with the same intensity you were directing toward your children? Of course not! You instantly calmed your voice and covered the fact that your eyes were still shooting daggers of threats. Or was that scenario just from my experience?
Now, I’m not telling you to be fake, but there are times when our circumstances give us as much trouble as a headstrong toddler. That’s when we use the same will of that strong-willed child to stand up to our situation and refuse to be defeated!
Attitude determines who we are and what we can do. I admire those who were born with a cheerful disposition. My youngest son is like that. He always had a smile on his face as a child. Still, to this day, it takes a lot to make him disgruntled. He’s just a happy person. On the other hand, I know people (I won’t name names here) who are the opposite. If there’s anything negative about a situation, they’ll find it!
Although personality has to do with their outlook on life, we can all learn to have a positive outlook and attitude. It takes practice to look for the good in people and situations rather than default to the negative. Why is that so important? Because a positive attitude will drive you forward, while a negative attitude will hold you back from living your desired life.
Attitude will change your life. This is no little statement, but it’s true. Your attitude affects your altitude – meaning, your attitude will cause you to soar to new heights or stay grounded. I think of Joseph in the Bible. He had a vision of his life, but the events he went through seemed contrary to that vision as he was thrown into one dire situation after another – totally out of his control. The one thing Joseph had total control over in the pit, Potiphar’s house, and the prison was his attitude. His attitude and faith in God kept moving him higher until he became second in command under Pharaoh. Talk about soaring!
You might have been served blow after blow and be tempted to give up. But I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on Jesus. Renew your mind to what God says about you and your life through His Word, and soar above your circumstances today!
If we can pray for you in any way, let me know in the comments below or email me at hello@schafferministries.com.
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Seek Him Journal and Devotion Guide
Have you ever wondered where to start reading your Bible or what you should pray about? This free guide will lead you step by step through your devotional time with praise and worship, prayer prompts, and daily reading guide with an area for journaling. Print as many copies of this 7-day devotion guide. (Reading plan is available in our weekly newsletter).