Check Your Attitude

Philippians 2:5-6, 8 "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross."  In our daily lives and relationships we must express the attitude of a servant to those around us. 

Matthew 20:26-28 "But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Jesus was God yet he gave up the splendor of heaven, a life of ease, and his exalted position to be born in a stable. To walk on dusty roads. To live a life of poverty. To be betrayed by a friend and crucified. Why?  

Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” 

John 18:37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?”Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” 

1 John 3:8 "But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil."

Hebrews 2:14-15 "Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying."

We too, are called to serve. We are called to put others before ourselves. Philippians 2:3-4 "Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too."

When we begin to look out for our own best interests, putting ourselves above others, and think we deserve something from others or the world around us we get a "chip on our shoulder" which is usually expressed in the form of a bad attitude. We may become grumpy, angry, or sulky. We may pout or become snippy or short in our communication with others. 

Beware: Our attitudes will either draw others closer to Christ or push them away. No one wants to spend time with someone who is selfish or has a bad attitude. We are drawn to those who are loving, kind, gentle, etc. Do those adjectives sound familiar?  

Galatians 5:22-26 "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another."

The key to maintaining a proper attitude is to weigh our thoughts and attitudes on the scale of God's Word. Do my thoughts align with those of Christ?  Does my attitude demonstrate that I am a servant; that I am thinking of others above myself?  Does it demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit?  Romans 12:3 admonishes us, "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."

Our servant lifestyle must begin at home; the hardest place to practice it!!!  We must be servants to our family first, then to our friends, our coworkers, and on to the world. We must give of ourselves and demonstrate the love of Christ to all we meet each day. 

We may be the only Jesus someone sees. Will they see a Jesus who is a loving servant? Or a Jesus who is selfish and grumpy?  Will they be drawn to the Savior or put off by our grouchy attitude?  

We much choose daily to either die to self or to live by the dictates of our flesh. Joshua 24:15 (NIV) "...then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”