Attitude Isn't Everything--But It's A Lot

You've probably seen one of those motivational posters, or maybe a post on social media espousing Attitude is EVERYTHING. Well, I disagree. Sort of.

You can have the best attitude in the world and still have the worst day. Conversely, you can have the worst attitude possible and have everything work out. Some days you do your best, and fail. Other days, despite your worst efforts, God smiles on you.

Attitude isn't everything.

But it is important.

Philippians 2:14 says that we are to Do everything without complaining or arguing. That's all about attitude. It means not only doing what we are supposed to do, but doing so willingly and even--Gasp!--cheerfully. We are not only supposed to do good, we are to do good with the right attitude.

Why? Well, the next verse tells us why. So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the 
universe . . .

Wow. That's a pretty good reason for having the right attitude.

Paul had more words of advise on attitude for the church in Philippi. In Philippians 4:8 he instructs them, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. 

If that's not about attitude, I don't know what is. He tells them, and God tells us, that we should be thinking about the true, the noble, the right, the pure, the lovely, the admirable--anything that is excellent or praiseworthy. Think about those things. Don't spend your time thinking about what is false, what is ignoble, what is wrong, what is impure, what is unlovely, what is not admirable--don't waste your time on anything that is not excellent or praiseworthy.

I bet if we did that, all the time--only thought about those good and right things and let everything else go--our attitudes would be a whole lot better. I know mine would.

Here's another one. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men. And the reason for this one? It's in the next verse as well. Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. 

We don't live for this world. We don't work for this world. We don't exist for this world alone. How different would our lives be if our attitudes reflected that?

There are so many more. Paul starts Colossians 3 with, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Christ said to love God and love our neighbors as the first and second-most commandments. He also said If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all (Mark 9:35). Now that's an attitude adjustment, at least for me, most of the time!

 In my own personal experience, my attitude reflects the status of my relationship with God. When I'm tight with God, my attitude reflects Him. When I'm not, it doesn't. For me, it really is that simple.

My point is this: Attitude isn't everything--God is everything. But our attitudes are so very important to how we respond to God, how we obey God, how we reflect Jesus Christ to the world. So to that end . . .

Attitude isn't everything, but it is a lot!