Everyone has an attitude whether it’s good or bad. Your attitude is your outlook and how you behave toward others. It can be one of superiority or arrogance or it can be humble and unassuming. Which one do you have?
Of course, we probably all want to exhibit a good attitude that is accepting of others and only thinks the best of everyone, but in reality, this just isn’t so.
So what can we, as born-again, Spirit-filled, Bible-believing Christians, do to change a bad attitude into a good one that shows forth the goodness of God?
First of all, we need to identify just what bad attitudes are and then we can work on how to change them. Let’s look at some scriptures and see what God has to say.
Proverbs 13:10 (KJV) 10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
James 3:16 (KJV) 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
If you notice, contentions and strife come from pride. What, you say – I’m not in pride! Well, let me give you a definition of pride: pride is self-centeredness! That means when you’re only thinking of yourself, that’s pride, whether it manifests itself in arrogance or in shyness, it’s still self-centeredness because you are the focus of your attention. Let me give you some examples:
Anytime you’re focused on impressing people with how wonderful you are, that’s pride. When you always have to have your way, having to be the one who is right, that’s pride.
Then on the other hand, shyness is pride because a shy person is so focused on what others think of them and always concerned about saying the right thing so they don’t look stupid. That’s pride because it’s focusing on yourself – self-centeredness.
So what’s the problem with pride? The Word says that ONLY with pride comes contention – that means arguing, fighting, saying things that you’ll regret, holding grudges, etc. This is bad, bad, bad! And here’s the bottom line about pride: God hates it!
James 4:6 (KJV) 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
1 Peter 5:5b (KJV) 5 … for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
The word resist means to actively fight against! Who wants God actively fighting against them! It’s the humble that God gives grace to! Isn’t that what we all want?
Here’s an important note: humility isn’t self-abasement. It’s thinking of yourself the way God says you are in His Word.
Chew on this for a while and we’ll continue on tomorrow’s post.
Notice the letter I in the middle of p r I d e — Pamela
Pamela Moyle Ministries 