Attitude: July 18, 2011

JULY 18 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JULY 18, 2011

ATTITUDE

DEFINITION:

Manner; disposition; feeling; frame of mind.

SCRIPTURE:

For as he thinketh in his heart so is he. Proverbs 23:7.

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Ephesians 4:23.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Our six children were quick to notice when one of their siblings had a bad attitude. They would usually come to one of us complaining that he or she was “being a brat.” Teenagers today would call it having a “tude.” (Bad attitude) Having a “tude” is not limited to children. Attitude is our frame of mind and our attitudes affect our actions.

Proverbs 23:7 (above) says that we are what we think in our heart. This is to say that our attitude will motivate us to be the person others see us to be. Our attitude precedes our actions.

We have examples in the Bible of those who had attitudes that led to evil actions. Cain’s jealousy of Abel led to hatred and hatred to murder. Saul sought to kill David because of his attitude of jealousy and hatred for David. It was the jealous attitude of Joseph’s brothers that caused them to devise their evil plan to get rid of him.

God holds us accountable for our attitudes. Just as wrong attitudes lead to wrong actions, right attitudes lead to good actions.

The apostle Paul advises us how we can have right attitudes in Philippians 2:5 (above). The King James Version of this verse says that we are to let the mind of Christ be in us. The NIV Version says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ.” Paul also tells us in Ephesians 4:23 (NIV) to “be made new in the attitude of your mind.”

Our attitude is a matter of choice. We can choose to let our attitude be controlled by our old sinful nature or we can choose to think and act as Jesus did. When we let the Lord have control of our life, He will change our attitude --- for the better.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Mark 13:31.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, take control of my life so that my attitude will be right. Help me to show Your love to others by not only a right attitude but by right actions.