WHO IS IN CONTROL OF YOUR ATTITUDE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also
for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was
also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not
consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of
no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming
in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a
man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point
of death, even the death of the cross.
(Philippians 2:4-8)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought about how our attitude affects who we are?
For a believer, we should want to have the same attitude of Jesus,
right? What was the attitude of Jesus? His attitude was driven by
fulfilling the will of the Father; nothing more and nothing less.

This sums up the ‘reasons’ for everything Jesus did. He allowed the
will of the Father to override His own will. That’s the same kind of
attitude His followers should have, wouldn’t you agree? When we
are driven by His will instead of our own, our lives will be changed!

For instance, the scriptures remind us that we are to be mindful
of the interests of others. That means we will no longer be focused
solely on ourselves, but we will also consider those around us. We
will consider how our words and actions have an impact on others.
It also means that we will be sensitive to the needs of others, which
creates in us more than a casual interest in them.

Lastly, it means that we will not be arrogant or egotistical. We are
told that Jesus was equal to God, but He didn’t use His status to
create a reputation for Himself. Instead, He humbled Himself and
became a bondservant who was dedicated to fulfilling God’s purpose.

Jesus didn’t go through His earthly life with the intention of drawing
attention to Himself. His goal was to point everyone to His Father. He
became totally obedient to God’s purpose on earth, even to the point
of death. His attitude was: “Not My will, but the Father’s will”.

That’s the example Jesus established for His followers. Our attitude
should not about ‘who we are’ or ‘what we’ve done’; it should be on
what God is doing through us to accomplish His will. It can be hard
to give up our own will, can’t it? But that’s what Jesus did and as
His followers, we can do the same thing. And when we do, God will
give us a new and exciting purpose for living.

All glory should be given to God, our Father. Why? Because it’s our
proof that His will is living in us. Who we are as believers, should be
determined by our attitudes which are controlled by our Father. Our
mind and attitude should be focused on Him, and at the same time,
we should be attentive to those around us. Why? So they will have
the opportunity to experience the life-changing power of Jesus that
we have been given.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Have I given serious thought about my own attitude?
    – Be honest with yourself and determine
       if you are driven by “your” will or “God’s” will?

When He is Lord of our life, we will ‘want’ His will to override our
will. And when He is in control, we will not only see the benefits in
our own life, but we will also have a positive impact on those around
us. In addition, we will be showing a humble obedience to God when
we surrender control of our life to Him as a replacement for our own
will.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You know the attitudes of my heart. You also
know if I am controlled by my will or Your will. When I gave my
life to You, I may not have fully understood what that included,
but now I do. I want You to be in control of my life so that I will
humbly obey You in all things. I look forward to a new purpose
for living as You change my attitudes and the way I interact with
those around me. Thank You, Jesus, for showing me the type of
attitude I should have in my life if I expect our Heavenly Father
to live in and through me.”

BLOG: utvolwoody.wordpress.com