For many years I carried a very heavy load. I was afraid of upsetting people, afraid of what people thought of me. This led to me thinking I wasn’t good enough for anything or anybody. I thought there was something seriously wrong with me, that I was a loner. You know, like I didn’t fit in! That all changed when I put my thinking gears into motion in the right direction.
You are where you are and what you are largely because of the dominating attitudes that occupy your mind. If you allow your negative situation to control your attitude, you might as well turn out the lights because the party’s over. You’re going nowhere - in your relationships, in your career, physically, emotionally and spiritually - with a negative attitude.
Attitude is the major difference between success and failure. Our attitude determines our altitude. When a person is really thinking about something, we sometimes say that we can see the gears turning. The gears are always turning. Our minds are always working. In fact, we think so much faster than we can speak. So, the gears are turning. But too often they are turning in the wrong direction. When our attitude in life is negative, the gears are grinding the wrong way.
When we think this way, we are robbed of our peace! We are not at peace with ourselves when we think, “I’m not good enough!” We are not at peace with others when we think, “I’m not good enough for them!” We are not at peace with God when we think, “I’m a lone wolf!”
That’s why I want to talk to you about how to develop a positive attitude that transcends difficult circumstances. This isn’t a writing about the power of positive thinking. We’re not talking about The Little Engine That Could - "I think I can, I think I can." Some of you are facing God-sized problems and you don’t need fluff - you need some God-sized reasons to be positive.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
The Bible says that the weapon we must use when there is spiritual conflict is our mind. II Corinthians tells us that we are to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Proverbs tells us, "As a man thinks within himself, so he is."
As an American, you have been challenged to think in politically correct ways. But here, we are challenged to think in biblically correct ways. Here, we are being encouraged to get the gears turning the right way I like to suggest three choices we need to make about biblically correct thinking.
1. Choose to do biblically correct thinking for yourself.
I am prone to do what I call being “negative nerd”. It’s looking at myself and focusing on the flaws I see. I’ve been like this for long time. I’m guessing that some of you do the same thing to yourself. We talk to ourselves in such destructive ways. We don’t see ourselves the way God sees us.
In Philippians we read: "What ever things are true...let your mind dwell on these things." Are you thinking thoughts about yourself that are true? So, what’s true?
John 17:17 Jesus prays to the Father, "Your Word is truth."
Psalm 19:9 talking about the Word of God when it says, "The judgments of the Lord are true."
Psalm 119:151 say, “All your Commandments are truth."
Because God is truth, what He says is truth. If you want to know the truth, you go to the Word of God. It’s the focus and foundation of truth. So if I’m going to think on whatever is true, I’m going to dwell on the Word of God first of all.
The whole message of the gospel is that Christ is for me! He is not against me! In Romans 8 we read these words, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
So, are you thinking thoughts about yourself that are true? Are you thinking thoughts that are righteous – that are right in line with what God says about us? We have to stop the gears from turning the wrong way. We are going to start the gears turning the right way. We must choose to do biblically correct thinking about ourselves.
2. Ok so, how are we thinking about our family and friends.
This is the temptation we have that develop attitudes of loveless-ness. It’s way too easy for some of us to be harsh and critical about our family and friends. We tend to accentuate the negative that we see in their lives.
Again, Philippians says, "Whatever is lovely… think on these things." Lovely means “pleasing,” “attractive,” “amiable.” It’s describing something sweet or gracious or generous or patient. We are to think thoughts about others that serve to cultivate and increase love, friendship, and goodwill among family members and friends.
How many times do we look for the flaws and look for the faults, not only in ourselves, but also in the very people that we say we love the most? We do think about the good qualities of our lives or husbands or children. Instead, we fixate on what’s wrong with them.
If you learn anything by this writing, learn this: “Look for something lovely in the lives of others.”
I Corinthians 4:5
Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things hidden in the darkness, and expose the motives on men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise shall come to him from God.
Philippians again says, "Whatever is pure… think on these things”
We have to stop the gears from turning the wrong way. We are going to start the gears turning the right way. We choose to do biblically correct thinking about our family and friends.
3. Are we thinking the right thoughts about our circumstances.
This is a temptation to develop the attitude of bitterness – life isn’t fair! And when you think about it, it really is saying that we don’t like what God is doing in our lives.
The interesting thing about human beings is that we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is to play on the one string we have, and that is OUR attitude and choices.
Whatever is noble, whatever is dignified, whatever is reverent, whatever is lofty, not trashy, mundane, and common. Whatever is worthy of awe, whatever is held in high regard, whatever is greatly respected, whatever is worthy of adoration, that’s what I and we need to think about.
Does you attitude about life give God the praise He deserves?
I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good… I will rejoice over them to do them good…
Jeremiah 32:40, 41
How do you think about life’s negative circumstances? Are you convinced that God is good even when life seems to have it out for you?
We are going to stop the gears from turning the wrong way. We are going to start the gears turning the right way. We choose to do biblically correct thinking about our circumstances.
John 16:33
In me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
The peace comes when we are "in Christ."
Jesus said, "In me you may have peace." Jesus is stressing the location of peace. It is in himself! He doesn’t say that peace is in religion. He doesn’t say that peace is in a job, in a location, or in some human relationship. He doesn’t say that peace is in financial security. He says that it’s in me.
Whenever the gears are grinding the wrong way, whenever we have a afflicted attitude, whenever we have been attacked with a attitude of worthlessness or loveless-ness or bitterness, go to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus, only you and your mind can get in gear!
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