Christianity
begins at home! That is why Satan attacks families with strife, divorce, and
such so that this consumes the time and efforts of the persons involved,
attempting to cause them to be ineffective in God’s work. But, the family is
“God’s Plan” and He is able to bring help and miracles in these various
situations!
I have
found, from my experience that a key factor in whether or not we will have a
Happy Home is our attitude.
“ATTITUDES THAT ATTRACT SUCCESS”
Missionary Esther
Thornton,
Attitudes: Characteristics
that reveal personality
Such things
as: appearance, manner, presence, or carriage
A
general cast (or conference) of mind
Such things
as: disposition, humor, mood, reaction, or tendency
Jokes:
A young
child walked up to her mother and stared at her hair. As her mother scrubbed
the dishes, the girl cleared her throat and asked, “Why do you have some gray
hairs?”
The mother
paused and looked at her daughter. “Every time you disobey, I get a strand of
gray hair.”
The mother
returned to her task of washing dishes. The little girl stood there, thinking.
She cleared her throat again.
“Mom?’ she
said.
“Yes?” her
mother answered.
“Why is
Grandma’s hair all gray?”
An auto
mechanic in the hospital was chatting nervously with his surgeon while being
prepped for an operation.
“Sometimes I
wish I’d gone into your line of work”, he told the doctor. “Everything you
doctors do is so cut and dried and tidy. With me, I spend half a day taking an
engine apart and putting it back together, and it seems I always have a couple
of parts left over.”
“Yes,” said
the surgeon, “I know the feeling.”
__________________
*Dr. Wayne Cordeiro,
is the pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in
· Dr. Cordeiro says this about “attitude”:
“A
Fragrance or a Bad Odor - The Choice is Yours”
In
Our
attitude is like a lei. Each of us has one, but we
have the choice of what we are going to string together to make up that lei. If you string together a collection of dried fish,
everything starts to smell fishy! If
you string together old socks, the whole world has this funny odor to it.
Your
attitude is like a fragrance you carry around with you. The difference is that skunks
carry around a bad odor while a beautiful Hawaiian plumeria
blossom carries a fragrance. Whether you like it or not, each of us carries one
of the above. You choose which it will be.”
John
Maxwell has said: “Rarely have I seen anything that can be so
powerful as a person’s attitude.” (or devastating - whatever the case may be).
More than
any other factor, the condition of your attitude will determine the following:
· The
quality of your relationships with other people
· Whether
you can turn a problem into a blessing
· Whether
you become a victim of defeat or a student of success.
You can
“make” someone or “break” someone by your attitude. You don’t have to be gifted
or exceptionally bright to apply the principles on attitude, but you just have
to be willing.
Attitude
can mean the difference between success and failure. We have seen people fail
who are talented, educated, and skilled. On the other hand, we have witnessed
the success of those who possess very little talent, education, or skill. Just
a few adjustments are needed for those who are failing and life would come in
loud and clear for them.
*People who
are effective have used setbacks as stepping-stones; whereas ineffective people
have used them as excuses. Wendy Stoker went to high school and just
missed first place in girls’ diving in her Senior
year. She went to college where she took a full load of classes, was on the
bowling team, was in student government and continued with her diving. In
college she had a great typing skill of 40 words per minute. Wendy was born
without arms. She types 40 words per minute with her toes.
*Thomas
Alva Edison invented the
incandescent light bulb, the movie camera, and the batteries that start our
cars. In the latter years of his life, he worked in what looked like a barn,
laboring to perfect his inventions. One night as he was working there, and
trying to improve retention of a battery’s charge, his latest experiment burst
into flames. When the flames had finished, leaving only ash and a twisted
frame,
*A man saw
his doctor and told him that everywhere he touched on his body seemed to hurt lately.
The doctor x-rayed and checked him thoroughly. He then said he would tell him
why everything he touched lately hurt him. The Dr. said: “Your body is fine,
but your finger is broken.” If our attitude is bad, everything will smell; if
it is good, everything will seem fragrant.
NINE
POINTS TO HAVING THE RIGHT ATTITUDE:
1. The
first point to having a right attitude is to Make Your Choice - What kind of attitude will you have?
Before
Jesus taught the disciples about miracles, discipleship etc. He taught them
about attitudes. The “sermon on the mount”, perhaps Jesus’ most famous sermon -
addresses our attitudes. Your attitudes will determine what you will be -
hence, the Be-attitudes.
Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew
5:7-9
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall
obtain mercy. [8] Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. [9]
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Matthew 6:22-23
The light of the body is the eye: if
therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. [23] But
if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore
the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
We must
build right attitudes because they become the lamp of the body, the way we see
and interpret the world around us.
*A Poor
Attitude Can Cost You:
The
President of the Bank of America told the following story which took place some
years ago:
The
Over the
years, however, people began abusing this privilege by making small or
insignificant transactions at the bank and then spending the rest of the day
shopping at other businesses in the building. Due to the frequent infractions
by shrewd customers, the bank reluctantly discontinued the privilege of
validating tickets for free and unlimited parking. Validated tickets would
henceforth be charged at a discounted hourly rate.
One morning,
an elderly man dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt waited his turn in a long
line of customers. The line slowly inched its way forward, until he made his
way to the next open teller’s booth. The man made a small
deposit and presented his parking ticket for validation. The teller
stamped his ticket and informed him that he would have to pay a small amount
for the parking.
“Why?
You’ve never required this before,” the elderly customer replied.
The teller, faced with a crowded bank full of impatient customers,
snapped, “Well that’s the new rule. I don’t make ‘em.
I just dish ‘em out.”
“But I’ve
been a customer in this bank for many years,” the man persisted. “The least you
can do is validate it like you used to.”
“You heard
me, Mister. You got a problem with that, see the manager. I have a lot of
people waiting behind you. If you could move along, that would make this
morning go by a little easier.”
The
flannel-shirted gentleman made his way to the end of the long line of waiting
customers, and once again he inched his way back toward the tellers’ booths.
When he finally arrived, he approached the first available teller, withdrew
$4.2 million and went across the street and deposited it in another bank.
That
teller’s attitude cost the bank $4.2 million! Never underestimate the
destruction htat can be wrought by a poor attitude.
A sign
hanging on the wall of an old gas station holds for us a poignant truth. It
reads:
Why
Customers Quit:
1% die
3% move
5% leave
because of location
7% quit
because of product dissatisfaction
84% of
customers quit because of an attitude of indifference shown to them by one of
the employees!
Phlp. 2:5
says for us to “Have this attitude in yourselves which
was also in Christ Jesus.”
2. The
second point to having a right attitude is “Believe You Can Change”
Mt.
If you stop
growing, you will start dying. We may not bury you, as you have not stopped
moving, but still many have died years ago!
Joke: Thank goodness for one church secretary
who was willing to change her attitude: One morning, a big Texan wearing a
10-gallon hat sauntered into the church office and sidled up to the counter. “I
came in to talk with the head pig of this here church,” he confidently drawled
with a heavy accent.
“The
head…what?!” the shocked secretary replied.
“The head
pig. Ya know, the one who blabs on and on every Sunday
morning. Just wanted to talk with him before I head back to the ranch,” the
Texan continued, drawing out each syllable along the way.
Aghast at
his irreverence, the prim and proper secretary straightened herself in her
chair. With a voice resembling that of a grade-school teacher reprimanding a
student, she retorted, “Now listen here. We don’t use such terms of disrespect
in this office. We call him, “Reverend” or “Pastor”, but never anything less!”
“Well, the
man drawled, “I never meant no disrespect, ma’am. I just sold a bunch of my
stock and heard the good Lord tell me to donate a million dollars. Thought I’d like to do that here.”
With a new
sparkle in her voice, she quickly responded, “Wait right there. I’ll go get the
hog!”
__________
Jer. 29:11
“For I know the plans that I have for
you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a
future and a hope.”
*When the
great architect Frank Lloyd Wright was 83 years old, he was asked which of his
works would be remembered as his greatest masterpiece. He replied, “My next one!”
The future
is brighter when your attitude is right. You’ll have more energy, your
creativity level will increase, and you’ll stay younger!
Never let
outside storms become inside storms. We are in a crooked and perverse world but
we are to shine as lights in the world by our attitude.
See
negative circumstances as changing. Example: When someone says to you that you
have financial problems you can go on about them as though you have always had
them, or you can say, “Yes, I do, but I see this situation changing.”
Some people
whine much of the time to get pity or look for reasons to stay in their unhappy
situations. Someone has said, “When you go through hell, don’t stop to take
pictures.”
3. The
third point in having a right attitude is to “Train Your Eyes to See What is
Good”
Prov.
Psa.
109:17 “He also loved cursing, so it came
to him; and he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.”
If you
watch the news or read the paper, you can begin to see all that is wrong in the
world today. Train your eyes to see evidence of god’s presence, not evidence of
His absence. The Bible says that it is the end of a thing that counts; and not
the beginning, thereof. People have long said about the Bible that they love it
because they have read the end of it, and it ends well!
Cultivate a
grateful spirit even when things are not going your way, but in everything!
“In everything give thanks; for this is
God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thes. 5:18)
A good
attitude will help you to hear God better and to enjoy His presence. This new
perspective will help you to develop an attitude that attracts friends,
laughter, joy and success!
4. The
fourth point in having a right attitude is to “Raise the Bar of Excellence”
“If the axe is dull, and one does not
sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength.” (Ecc.
“We request and exhort you in the name of
the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to
walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you may excel still
more.” (I Thes. 4:1).
What Paul
is saying is to keep on improving for the sake of the Kingdom and be willing to
get better and improve.
Lay aside
the encumbrance and sin which entangles you and run the race with endurance.
“For you have need of endurance so that
when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. (Heb. 10:36).
Be willing
to pay the price to build character. The deeper your character, the easier it
will be for you to develop an attitude of excellence. And, without it, you will
never survive success.
Some of
God’s leaders who are on Christian television are going through times where
they need our prayers. Satan loves to attack such people as they have many
followers.
Paula White
needs prayer for her marriage and Juanita Bynum is now separated from her
husband of only 5 years.
There is a
price to pay for godly character - trials, lean times, to mature in such areas
as our relationships and finances.
Imagine you
owned a four-karat diamond worth thousands of dollars. If the prongs are soft
and prone to bending, than one sharp bump and the diamond is lost forever. A
qualified jeweler would never mount such a stone in a weak setting.
Character
is like the setting of a ring. If we do not allow God to build in us strong
character, then we won’t be ready for the success He wants to bring to our
lives. Character doesn’t come cheap - it comes with a price - suffering, trials
and discipline.
To feel
good about yourself, stay clean. It is not just sin htat
destroys God’s people - it’s unresolved sin. Unresolved sin in your camp can
cause you to miss out on God’s blessings. It steals your confidence and causes
you to have an attitude of defeatism and fear. So stay clean and remain in the
flow of God’s blessings. We must call sin what it is and not call it by another
name to try to justify it. Satan wants us to feel that God is a legalistic
tyrant but in actuality His grace is so available to assist us in our need. He
wants to build a diamond-quality character in you.
5. The
fifth point in having a right attitude is to “Play the Right Background
Music”.
Eph.
Our
internal music is composed of the thoughts we think over and over again. What
we play affects everything about you: attitude, self-image, confidence level,
relationships, the way you communicate with others and even your faith. If your
thinking is poor, so will your perspective be. And, if your perspective is
poor, so will your decisions be. Let God’s Word clean your perspective and
mentor you in the ways of life. It will form your character and fashion your
personality, shaping your attitude until it becomes the underlying foundation
for fruitfulness in every area of your life.
Prov.
The New
Living Translation says: “Above all else,
guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.”
Sometimes
people feel that they have blown it so badly that they don’t know what to do.
But, Jesus
can heal all things because He paid the price. He offers us the power of His
love to cover our most valuable possessions - our eternity, our hearts and our
minds.
Allow Jesus
to mend your broken heart. Replace broken thoughts with His Word. Then,
eliminate painful memories, replacing them with His promises. And, His amazing
grace will cause you to see things in a brand new light. He will take you from
glory to glory and transform your life.
6. The
sixth point in having a right attitude is to “Practice” it.
“But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern
good and evil.” (Heb. 5:14).
Practice
developing an attitude of excellence. Watch those who have this kind of
attitude. When they enter a room, the atmosphere changes.
Notice the grace in how they talk to problem persons, and the way that they
listen to others. The Apostle Paul said: “Follow me, as I follow Christ.”
· Cultivate
the Nine Fruit of the Spirit in your life.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23).
Love: Do I treat others as God would treat
them?
Joy: Do I trust the fact that God is in
control of every situation, regardless of how it looks to me and so, I take joy
from this? Or, do I tend to draw my contentment from pleasant situations and
circumstances?
Peace: Do I bring a calming effect to every
situation, or do I stir up people’s feathers? Am I a reconciler or an
instigator?
Patience: Do I give people room to fail, and then
help them to learn from it? Or, do I keep score of hits and errors?
Kindness: Am I kind? When working with people
under my supervision or care, do I appeal to them kindly? Or do I order them
around? How do I behave toward my family?
Goodness: Is the core of my heart good? Do I want
others to be successful or do I look out only for myself, regardless of what
happens to others?
Faithfulness: Am I loyal? Can I keep confidences, or
do I have the tendency to share private information about others? Am I a
faithful spouse?
Gentleness: How do I deal with others’ failures,
especially if it affects me? Am I more concerned about my welfare or theirs?
Self-control: Do I control my thoughts? Am I able to
discipline my emotions and desires?
7. The seventh point in having a right attitude, is to “Never
Give Up!”
All of us
have stumbled, but God is not through with us. He believes in us. The game is
not over yet! The issue is love, not performance. Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, and Peter said, “You know that I
love you”. Jesus answered, “Feed My sheep”. (Jn.
21:15-17)
Love will
always be God’s highest test. Don’t put a magnifying glass on your failure; put
it on love; and it will help you to see things the way that Jesus does.
We are to
stay the course - to endure. This stubborn obedience to the call of God helps
me get through the group of critics and survive the nagging memories of past
mistakes.
Jesus
stayed the course and we are to do the same.
*Sir
Winston Churchill addressed his alma mater in a commencement speech. He had
become a legend due to his courage and confidence during World War II. After a
long introduction of his accomplishments had been given, he made his way to the
podium. He then gave the shortest speech that those students had ever received.
With a tone that reflected the character of both warrior and diplomat, he said,
“Nevah, nevah, nevah give up!” He then repeated this; put on his top hat
and coat; took up his cane; picked up his stogie; and left.
We’ll all
be faced with battles and when they are over, the critics will begin. But never
give up! The only way the devil can defeat you is if
you give him permission to do so, which you never want to do. The game’s not
over until God says it is!
The
following is a poem written by Kent Keith. It is so appropriate:
ANYWAY
People are
unreasonable, illogical, self-centered –
Love them
anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives -
do good anyway.
If you are
successful, you’ll win false friends and make true enemies - succeed anyway.
Honesty and
kindness may make you vulnerable –
be honest and kind anyway.
The good
you do today may very well be forgotten tomorrow –
but do good anyway.
The biggest
people with the biggest ideas can get shot down by the smallest people with the
smallest minds –
but think big anyway.
Give the
world the best you’ve got - You may very well get kicked in the teeth for it –
but give the world the best you’ve got…anyway.
8. The
eighth point in having a right attitude is to “Finish Well”
“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to thee a heart of wisdom.” (Psa. 90:12).
What
separates a futile life from a fruitful one? Your attitude and it will be the
difference between existing and living!
What if
someone came to you and offered to deposit $86,400 into your bank account every
morning? And, the catch would be that you must wisely spend or invest the
entire amount every day. You would naturally be happy to spend wisely or invest
that amount every new day!
Unfortunately,
this does not happen, but we are given 86,400 seconds in every day to invest or
to spend wisely. And, we will receive a reward if we are wise and do not waste
it.
We must
seize the day.
Follow the four keys to building an
extraordinary attitude:
(1) To
build an extraordinary attitude: Aim for the right target. What has God
asked me to do with my life? The three beacon lights that must line up to know
the will of God are: His Word; His Spirit; and circumstances.
(2) To
build an extraordinary attitude: Run the right race. You cannot be like
someone else but you must do what God has called you to do.
Jer. 29:11
“For I know the plans that I have for
you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a
future and a hope.”
(3) To
build an extraordinary attitude: Understand what satisfies your soul
Jesus gives
us the secret of contentment:
“But, seek ye first the
Contentment
cannot be acquired directly but it is a by-produce of a life that is focused on
the right things.
*A few
years ago, the whole world had its eyes on an American billionaire who desired
to fly the fastest plane in the world. So he designed, built, and piloted the
world’s fastest airplane. He wanted to have boats and condos and live in exotic
places so he bought them. He got such a great fortune that he was said to have
had two
It is the
fool who lays up treasures upon earth but is not rich toward God.
It was said
about the late-night talk show host, Johnny Carson, “He’s someone who’s always looking for a good time, but never finding
it.”
(4) To
build an extraordinary attitude: “Make contentment an inside job”
Phlp. 4:11-12
“I have learned to be content in whatever
circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know
how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the
secret of being filled and gling hungry, both of having
abundance and suffering need.”
The Apostle
Paul had been hungry; abandoned; stoned; shipwrecked; whipped; beaten and left
for dead. He had been mocked; ridiculed; slandered; put in prison and he knew
that he would be tortured to death. His aim in life was much bigger than
contentment itself or a lifestyle of convenience and comfort. His aim was to
know God and to serve Him with his whole heart at any cost. Paul wrote the
verses on being content while in prison - actually, nearly half of the New
Testament was written while he was imprisoned.
9. The
ninth point to having a right attitude is: “Go back to the source”
Phlp. 2:3 “Have the attitude in yourselves which was
also in Christ Jesus.”
Your attitude,
in essence, is the expression of your faith and the display of your character.
Positive thinking from God’s Word is the source that you need for a right
attitude. The Bible is your attitude instruction manual. It is not only the
best book available on any subject of need, but it is the inspired Word of God
which will transform the human heart. (2 Tim. 3:16-17). It will give you the
discipline that you need, such as: When you want to tells someone off, be aware
that the pain of discipline will cost you pennies, whereas the pain of regret
can cost you millions.
Wisdom is
of so much importance that when Solomon asked God for it and how to deal with
the people, instead of asking for riches and other things - God was so pleased
that He gave him all of it! - wisdom; a wise and
discerning heart (he would have more than anyone before him or after him) - and
God gave him what he didn’t ask for - riches and honor, more than any among the
kings like you all your days. (I Kngs. 3:11-13).
And, David
had wisdom beyond his years from the instruction in the Word of God. (Psa. 119:99).
Prayer is
the time for making an attitude adjustment. It is like watering a plant. You
may not see immediate results, but if the discipline of prayer is neglected,
the consequences can be disastrous. Prayer is not to be a way of complaining to
God in a selfish manner, but the Word says we are to have an attitude in prayer
of thanksgiving.
*Billy
Graham once gave a short illustration of the effect prayer should have on us as
he was watching a ship pull into dock. Thick ropes were fastened to the dock,
and he heard the huge engines of the ship began to whir. Then, he noticed
something intriguing: As the ropes drew taut, the dock wasn’t drawn to the ship, rather the ship was drawn to the dock! Prayer should
be exactly like that. When we pray, we don’t pull God down to our level in
order for Him to accomplish what we’ve got assigned for Him to do. Instead,
prayer draws us near to God in order that we receive His strength to do His
bidding! It is through prayer that God reveals simple but key truths that help
us to see things from a whole new vantage point. When you ask to see things his
way, you can’t help but have your attitude changed!
Rom.
Now, you
get to choose! Developing an attitude that attracts success is a choice.
*The story
is told of two prisoners lying on their bunks one evening. The prisoner on the
top bunk was staring out the window of his cell into the night sky. The stars
were spread out in a splendid array, with an occasional shooting star making
the evening sky a spectacular display of divine fireworks.
Calling to
his cell mate in the bunk below, the man said, “Hey, wake up! Look at the
stars! They’re beautiful. Look!”
“Aw, leave me
alone, his cell mate grunted.
“Come on.
Just look. The stars tonight are the brightest I’ve ever seen!”
His cell
mate groaned and turned over in his bunk to look out at the night sky. After a
brief glance, he growled, “I don’t see no stars. All I
see are the bars.”
One
prisoner saw the stars; the other saw the bars. It all depends on your
attitude, doesn’t it? Contentment is an inside job. You will either be a master
or a victim of your attitude.
So, also,
God sets before you the decision of serving him either with a great attitude or
with a poor one. Choose a good one that you might experience life! Yes, life
for you and your descendants!
But it
takes training, discipline, and desire to develop your perspective to see
what’s good. Choose, because both will be present - the stars and the bars.
Look for the stars and you can reach them! Look for the bars, and they’ll
surely imprison you.
Look for
the stars and you’re only one attitude away from a fantastic life and future!
In His Love
and Service,
Rev. Esther
Thornton
______________
“Attitudes That Attract Success” by Dr. Wayne Cordeiro,
Global
Evangelism Fellowship
Rev. Esther
Thornton - (503)728-3388
