YOUR ATTITUDE IS SHOWING

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! 

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).

The third in a series of sermons from Philippians is about attitudes.  How would you define attitude?  If one is in aviation, attitude, or the position of the airplane means everything--it is the difference between flying safely or crashing.  It is a little tougher to define what a human attitude is.  I have read a half dozen different definitions in dictionaries and on line and each one has a little different shade of meaning.  But one thing is consistent with the attitude of an airplane; it is the difference between flying safely or eventually crashing.  More than any other factor, attitude determines a person's success.

Here is my definition of attitude that, I think, is true to the grammar of the scripture text and fits human experience as well: Attitude is a settled way of thinking and feeling that is reflected in a person's behavior.  Attitude is not simply a result of intelectual exercise, emotion is involved as well.  And, it should be mentioned that, sound thinking drives healthy emotions rather than emotion driving the thinking.  If a person is primarily emotionally driven, crashing and burning is a virtual certainty.

Attitude development is a project that a Christian should work on each day, checking our thoughts and feelings so that they are consistent with the word of God.  In verse 5 Paul strongly suggests that you check your attitude with Christ's.  If one's attitude conforms to the attitude of Christ then: . . . the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (4:7).

Our Father's Love,
Tom