How Do You Approach Things?
By: Matthew Allen
Our attitude is the primary force that will determine whether we succeed or fail spiritually. How do you approach things? Do you often see difficulty in every opportunity, or do you see an opportunity in every difficulty? Our attitude determines the approach we take in leading our spirituality. Adopting a healthy attitude is essential for our spiritual lives! Paul is a great example in this when we consider how he overcame his past and examine the optimistic view he held on his future.
1 Timothy 1:13-15 treats us to the grimy detail of Paul’s past. He was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Later he writes, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Paul had a terrible background to overcome. After his conversion, he possessed an extreme desire to know Jesus in a greater way. Forgetting his past, Paul turned his passion into laying hold of Jesus. See Philippians 3:8-13. His attitude was essential for his spiritual success! We are responsible for our view of life. Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap, Galatians 6:7. Think about it. Your spiritual life is filled with infinite potential! Don’t hold it back by a poor outlook on life and neglect of the precious spiritual blessings God so richly bestows.
Part of our problem today is that we have taken heed to the lie that life has to be fair, and if it is not, then it is an excuse to be sour on life. I hope we all grow to realize that life is not fair. While it is impossible to trim all situations and circumstances to fit our loves perfectly, it is possible to craft our attitude to fit every situation life hands us. We read, I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, Philippians 4:12-13. This is learned behavior. Developing a healthy attitude will influence our entire outlook on life. When confronted with a difficult situation, a person with an outstanding attitude makes the best of it while he gets the worst of it. It has been said, whether life grinds us down or polishes us depends on what we are made of. Consider for a moment the success of these men and the importance of their attitude:
o Joseph – Genesis 39-42. Thrown into the pit, sold into slavery, jailed wrongly before coming to the throne to serve Pharoah.
o Moses – Exodus 2-3. He spent time in the wilderness before leading the people of Israel.
o Peter – Matthew 26:69-75. Peter denied Jesus three times. Matthew 26 concludes by telling us he went out and wept bitterly. He could have allowed this failure to wreck his life. However, his attitude propelled him to rise out of the ashes of failure to become one of the leading apostles in the early years of the church. It has been said that the opportunities of life lie directly in our problems. Thomas Edison wrote, there is much more opportunity than there are people to see it. Use the problems that confront you as opportunities to grow your spiritual life and trust in God.
Christianity can be an extremely liberating experience. It frees us from the weight of sin and gives us a way to lead a focused and purpose filled life. An optimistic spirit can help us accomplish our spiritual goals. Remember, as long as we live, we are forming, changing, and reinforcing our attitude. You can change for the better! Are you aiming toward spiritual success? Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do no regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, Philippians 3:12-14.