Attitude.

You can spot it from afar … woah they have an attitude!  People carry all kinds of attitudes – “this world owes me something”, “I’m a victim”, “I’m out to become someone, and I don’t care who I take out”… Attitudes have a face and they have a voice!

Our attitude should be that of Christ.  Having a revelation that we belong to Christ, we are loved by Him, and a reliance on the Holy Spirit working in use is key to see it seen in our lives.  Our intimate relationship with God should be reflected in the attitude we carry.  Read this awesome passage below in Philippians 2, which speaks about the kind of attitude we should carry, and the attitude we should be praying we see in the lives of those we are teaching…

Philipians 2: 1- 18 – Have the Attitude of Christ

1. It starts off talking about being of one mind and purpose  This comes out of a revelation of God’s love and that we belong to him.  How powerful unity is at home and in the church,… God can move powerfully!

v1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? ² Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.  

2. Genuine love results in un-selfish living, considering others interests, not just seeing life from your shoes and not doing things to impress others – which also is a result of being self-conscious and caught up in yourself..

³ Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

3. Christ is our example – His humility lead to exaltation. The world teaches the opposite. If you want a high position they teach to get there yourself, promote yourself… God’s ways are not man’s. Lasting promotion comes from genuine humility. Obeying the Holy Spirit’s promptings and acting on His Word.

⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.⁶ Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  ⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Shine Brightly for Christ

4. It’s the working out of salvation…obedience to God with reverence and fear and working hard to obey His Spirit not our flesh.  It is not of our own strength, God is at work, he is giving you not only the DESIRE to do so – but the POWER also!

¹² Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. ¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

5. Attitude comes out in the tongue for sure! Doing things without complaining and arguing is a good motto to help us guard this feisty member of our body!  Then living clean lives, means it is effectively working through to how we do life. This will be a shining example to the world we live in. Those who speak and act differently stand out so easily in this world!

¹⁴ Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵ so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 

6. Encouraging a love for the Word of God and an application to life which means that our work is not in vain and they will experience joy at Christ’s return.

¹⁶ Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. ¹⁷ But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. ¹⁸ Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Let’s pray that our attitude and those we teach are reflective of the awesome work of salvation in our lives!