Staying Positive In a Negative World

Your attitude will determine your altitude.

“Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility” ( Philippians 2:5)

The above text begins with “Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you”. It is a command to all those who are followers of Christ. In these scriptures we see the ultimate paradigm of Jesus Christ. In Jesus we see the complete manifestation of the character of God, which God is trying to reproduce in His followers. We are admonished to have the same attitude of Jesus, which is the genuine characteristic of an authentic life.

Jesus Christ left us the perfect example of how our attitude should be. He not only had a positive attitude, He had a winning attitude. The purpose in front of Him was to please The Father. His incentive was the joy of being with His Father (Hebrews 12:2) knowing that He had done His will and saved mankind. The right attitude is not so much about self-seeking, but self-giving for the sake of others. Now let’s consider from these scriptures what Jesus had done.

Philippians 2:6-8 says “ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross.”

He emptied Himself of all His rightful privileges and dignity and instead of selfish ambition He took the form of a servant. Jesus Christ in humility considered the interests and needs of others more important than His. And by doing all of this He brought glory to God. The character of God is revealed through the actions of the Son of God; Jesus presents God’s divine selflessness and shows that God is not someone who selfish, but self-giving for the sake of others. We need to understand that Jesus took on the appearance of a servant and that in becoming human, Christ did not cease to be divine; He was God living out a truly human life. In Christ Jesus God has shown his true nature. Jesus not only reveals the character of God but also reveals what it means for us to be created in the image and likeness of God and to have His very Nature.

Jesus said, “Learn of Me, for I am meek, lowly and humble”. This humility and

Obedience is characterized in His entire human life. Jesus said, “I came to serve and not to be served”. Mother Teresa said: "Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the grace we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work." She considered serving, loving and caring others is the right attitude. Teresa of Calcutta set an example for all of us as she touched others with the loving hands of Christ. This is the kind of attitude that changes the world.

A positive attitude leads to happiness and success and can change your whole life. If you look at the bright side of life, your whole life becomes filled with light. This light affects not only you and the way you look at the world, but also your whole environment and the people around you. Your attitude is so important and crucial to your victory and fulfillment of your God-given destiny. If you have everything else going well for you, whether you fly, sink or crawl is determined by your attitude. And the root of your attitude usually your thinking. A lot of people struggle with what can best be described as ’depressing thinking’ they carry thoughts like “I’ll never make it”, “Nobody loves me”, “I’m helpless” etc. If you have been entertaining thoughts like that, you need a ‘Mind flush!’ How can you expect anything good to happen in your life when you are speaking these things and you are calling them into being? Victory and Defeat begins in the mind. Remember your attitude determines your altitude. Get in the Bible and speak what God says and not what the negative thoughts and news others says. GOD’S WORD IS TRUTH.

Robert J. Hastings said, “Places and circumstances never guarantee happiness. You must decide within yourself whether you want to be happy.”

And that means you need to set apart more time for the Word of God in your life. The Word of God births faith in us. And faith alone has the ability to slay the giants on the way to our destiny. When there is faith, giants become like grasshoppers; mountains become like bread that is devoured; obstacles become stepping stones to victory! So get a good positive attitude so you can fly and not sink. Do you realize that even when a situation looks hopeless, God can still turn it around! You are responsible for your attitude while your attitude is responsible for your altitude. That is how far you will go in life depends largely on your attitude. Attitude is the little key that opens great doors. Attitude is your reactions and actions combined. Your attitude is how you see an issue. This is so important because as a man thinks in his heart so he is (Prov. 23:7).

When we understand that our attitude is a matter of choice and not chance we can go far. But the noblest attitude is not only the positive one, it’s the one where there’s a vision and a plan behind it. Where there is no purpose a positive attitude can end up misguided. And once it’s misguided it’s unlikely that it will last. Your attitude is your daily choice. Victor Frankl, said: “The last of human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” 

Human beings can alter their lives by altering and changing their attitude of mind. Now, with the world, they can get the attitude by the mental capacity, but with us it’s the spirit.  Everything is based on the attitude.  Marilyn Hickey said, “Attitude is everything.  It is a position you take regarding any situation in your life, or anything going on in your life.  Great attitudes produce great results; and so on poor attitude produces poor results.  Each of us shapes our life by our attitude.  Most people never think about their attitude at all, they start the day in neutral.  They react to whatever happens, whatever they see, they hear or they feel.  They are like Chameleons, going through their day reacting to whatever confronts them.  A hardened or negative attitude is a dreaded disease; it causes a closed mind and presents a dark future.  It is our outward look, based on past experience.

Attitude is the library of our past, the speaker of our present, the prophet of our future.  Watch your thoughts, they will become your believing, watch your believing they will become your words, watch your words, they will become your actions, watch your actions they become your habits, watch your habits they become your character, watch your character, they become your destiny.  When your attitude is positive and conducive to growth, the mind expanses and progress begins. Your attitude in the midst of negative situations and circumstances determines your outcome. God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf, but you must refuse to be negative and you must stand on the Word of God during hard times. Our attitude makes the way for our destiny-whether good or bad. Are you staying positive in your attitude? You cannot expect victory in your life and remain negative. Your today’s Choices Determine Your Tomorrow.

Negative attitude is our biggest obstacle to maintain friendships, jobs, marriage& relationships. Because Negative people usually blame the whole world, their parents, teachers,   spouse, the economy and the government for their failures. Ability without the right attitude is wasted energy. People with positive attitude are caring, confident, patient, and humble. A person with a positive attitude is like a fruit of all season. Stay away from negative influences, people, behavior& environments start our day with positive thoughts.

God asked Abraham to count the stars and the sands of the sea shores; He was actually checking his attitude. Your perceptions about things determines your take home pay in the work shop of life, for example, some people see challenges as suffering while others see it as training ground, preparing them greatness. Some people see delay as denial while others see it as preparation for a greater testimony. Some people see problems as setbacks while some see it as situations looking for solutions. Jesus urges us to be of good cheers even in the midst of Challenges. Jesus said "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33.

Circumstances in life may not always be the best, but we can make a right choice & wise decision to stay positive in spite of negative circumstances by trusting in God and refusing to quit when situations seems hopeless. In the world, happiness is based on what is happening; but in God’s economy, it does not have to be that way. The Sermon on the Mount we call them the “BE-attitudes” or the way we should BE. If you want to be happy, you have to maintain a good attitude no matter what life offers. The way we think about the world around us, makes an enormous difference in the quality of our life. So stay in control of our attitude, & make that life the best it can be. Even in paradise fault finders will find faults. Most people find what they are looking for. If you’re looking for Blessings, holiness, happiness, & Peace, that is what you get.

Our attitude is one of the primary factors that decide whether we will persevere towards success in life. If our attitude is right we can conquer any obstacle in life. That reminds me of a story I once read. Allow me to share it… A little girl walked to and from school daily. The weather one morning was questionable and clouds were forming, yet she made her daily walk to the elementary school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning. The mother of the little girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she feared that the electrical storm might harm her child. Following the roar of thunder, lightning, like a flaming sword, would cut through the sky. Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child's school. As she did so, she saw her little girl walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up and smile. Another and another were to follow quickly and with each the little girl would look at the spark of light and smile. When the mother's car drew up beside the child she lowered the window and called to her with anxiety, "What are you doing? Why do you keep smiling?" The child answered, "I am trying to look pretty. God keeps taking my picture." As you face the storms that come your way! It’s all about your attitude.

A positive attitude can be the salvation of a difficult situation.  James 1:2-6 says “My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way,  for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.  Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all. But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind.”

David, the ancient Jewish king said “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I may learn thy statutes.” (Psalm 119:71)We learn some important lesson in life, only through difficult situation. Distress is there to correct us, when responded correctly. God is far more interested in our character than our comfort. Psalmist says "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws." The distress we face will either defeat us or develop us - depending on how we respond to them. God wants to use the troubles for good in our lives. We react rudely rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring. We can rejoice when we run into problems... they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us & helps us to trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope &faith are strong and steady."  Our relationship to God and our character are the only two things we're going to take with us into eternity.  A positive attitude can be the salvation of a difficult situation.

"Attitude which does not reveal the mind of Christ increases the darkness."

Bishop Lalachan M .A