We usually get our attitudes from others. The family we were raised in, the culture we live in, and the influential people in our lives have all shaped the way we think and feel. Kids imitate the attitudes of the athletes and entertainers they admire. So do adults, but we’re more subtle about it. We can pick up an attitude from a community, a trend, or an event. We’re often easily influenced.
We may not realize it, but our attitudes are a matter of choice. Yes, circumstances and people can influence them, and often those influences are overwhelming. Still, we can choose how we will react in any given situation or to any particular person. We can determine to be positive or negative, accepting or bitter. We are not victims of our impulses.
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5)
The Apostle Paul directs the people in Philippi to choose the essential attitudes of Jesus, which are: gentleness, joy, zeal for the Kingdom of God, love for people, and, as the letter of Philippians emphasizes, humility. Jesus exemplified all the fruit of the Spirit perfectly, and though elements of those fruit go beyond mental attitude, that’s where many of them begin. If we want to be like Jesus, we have to think like Him.
We may think that being a follower of Jesus is mainly a matter of imitating His powerful faith or His good works. These are important, even essential, but following Jesus begins with His attitudes. If His mindset isn’t formed in us by His Spirit – if it isn’t our foundation – the faith and the works will always be an impossible uphill climb. As we follow Him today, let’s think about His attitudes, and ask God to cultivate them within us. Having an Attitude Is Inevitable. Scripture says to choose His.
Have a pleasant weekend. Make it better by worshiping The Lord with those who desire to be more like Him. For them, humility is essential because it was for Jesus.
All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.
Vic Alvarado 