Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] (Php. 2:5 AMPC)
Many Christians don’t live a victorious life because of their attitudes. Your attitude determines your altitude. To go higher in life, you must have the kind of attitudes that will lift you up. If you want to win in life, then you must have the winning attitude. Your attitude determines your altitude. Airplanes have altitude indicators, but our hearts also have attitude indicators. Your attitude indicator reflects your perspective on life. Attitude! What is it? Attitude is an inward feeling expressed by behavior. Your attitude is your thought life turned inside out.
The Bible teaches us “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1Sa. 16:7). “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9). These statements express our inability to know for sure what emotions are going on inside someone else. Yet while we refrain from judging others by their outward expressions, many times the outward actions become a “window to the soul.”
We can learn a lot from the attitudes of the Israelites. Once they came out of bondage in Egypt, which is a type of salvation, it was an 11 day’s journey for them to go into the promised land of abundance and possess their inheritance. Yet they never went in. They wondered in the wilderness for 40 years and perished, because: they did not want to take responsibility for their lives, they wanted everything to be made easy for them and they wanted Moses to do everything for them.
When they got to the promise land, there would be no more free manna. They would have to work, but the blessing would be a 1000-fold greater. If you want to go to a new level in your life, it is going to require a new level of responsibility. People want the anointing and authority, but with anointing and authority comes responsibility.
Mary had to break the alabaster box for the sweet perfume to come out. Releasing the anointing in your life will require a sacrifice and you to give up what is valuable to you materially. It is going to require you to be broken in front of others. Especially, those who will criticize you.
If we grumble, accuse, blame, murmur, complain, quit and have a negative, fearful and depressed attitude like the Israelites did in Numbers 14:2-3, then we will stay where they stayed! But if you just lose some bad attitudes, then you will come up higher.
They assembled against Moses and Aaron in Numbers 20:2-6. They contended with their leaders in strife and rebellion, blaming them for their lack; but they lacked because they refused to go into the promise land. They lacked because of their own ungrateful, unthankful, murmuring and a faultfinding attitude. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces to humble themselves before God and to seek God.
In Numbers 21:4-6, they were impatient and discouraged, because of their trials during their journeys. The Bible teaches us to be thankful in all things, not for all things, but no matter what you are facing to be thankful to God and have a joyful, praising attitude. God finally got fed up with them and judged them. Then they finally woke up, saying “we have sinned.” Oh! What a revelation! But unfortunately, many people don’t listen to their leader’s advice, and they don’t take responsibility for their attitudes and actions until some calamity, affliction, adversity come upon them.
Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves] (Php. 2:14 AMPC)
And the Pharisees and the scribes kept muttering and indignantly complaining… (Luk. 15:2 AMPC)
Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ’s body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him). (1Pe. 4:9 AMPC)
Have a thankful attitude. Be thankful to people for what they do instead of murmuring for what they don’t do. Nobody likes a person with a critical spirit. Nobody wants to be around somebody who is a murmurer and a faultfinder. A thankful person is a favor magnet. Also, when you see someone who has a bad attitude towards you, just be thankful because it could have been you. When you have reverential fear of God, then you won’t grumble and murmur.
Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you… (1Th. 5:18 AMPC)
There is also a difference between thankful and giving thanks. Some people are thankful, but they never express it. Remember: If you complain, you will remain!
