If you want things to be different in your life. . .the number one thing you need to change is not your job, circumstances, environment, relationships or income. . .it’s YOU.
You must first change your attitude. Now your attitude can be either good or bad. That’s why I want to be very specific.
Your attitude is determined by the collection of the dominant thoughts in your mind. So in determining the proper kind of attitude for change. . .we must look at Philippians 2:5 in the New Living Translation which says:
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
Years ago, people were wearing bracelets with the initials of a very probing question. “WWJD” asks “What Would Jesus Do.”
Before you ever do. . .you think. So perhaps a more probing question would be.
“WWJT” or “What would Jesus think.”
I want to repeat a phrase because I want to make sure you grasp the full implications of the phrase.
Before you ever do anything. . .you need to think. . .like He would think!
The great news is that you can know with absolutely certainty what Jesus thinks. All that is required is for you to: Read Your Bible…Do What It Says.
Napoleon Hill, the author of Think And Grow Rich once said:
“What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."
However, if you have a negative and/or bad attitude. . .you will not conceive or believe it and you most certainly. . .will not achieve your goals.
Success will never come to you. . .unless you’re willing to change your attitude. . .which will change by what you feed your mind.
It’s also important to understand that success will never manifest around you until it’s established within you.
Developing the right kind of attitude within you. . .is a scriptural and spiritual assignment.
HERE ARE:
The Seven Ways To Develop The Right Kind of Attitude.
1. Where do you get the right kind of attitude?
Ephesians 4:23 in the Amplified Bible says:
“And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude].”
The scripture gets very specific when discussing the kind of attitude you should have.
Philippians 2:5 in the New Living Translation says:
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
The Contemporary English Version of Philippians 2:5 puts it this way: “And think the same way that Christ Jesus thought.”
You may be thinking… “that sounds good but how do I receive or develop that kind of attitude.”
Seven words.
"Read your Bible. . .do what it says."
*If you’re having trouble in your marriage. . .you must get rid of your old attitudes about your spouse. . .before you can embrace a new mindset.
*If you’re having trouble with your children. . .you must get rid of your old attitudes about them. . .before you can embrace a new mindset.
*If you’re having trouble with your boss and/or job. . .you must get rid of your old attitudes about him/her. . .before you can embrace a new mindset.
You must change. . .renovate your thinking before you can replace the old with the new.
Romans 12:2 in the King James Version says:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
According to Strong’s Concordance the Greek word for renewing is anakainōsis (G342) which means: “renewing, renovation.”
When you renovate a house. . .you may take out the old unsafe electrical wiring and put in the new. You pull out the old flooring and add in the new flooring. You are replacing what isn’t wanted with what is.
If you’re renewing your mind. . .you take out the old way of thinking and put in the new. That’s why I love the New Living Translation of Romans 12:2 which says:
“. . .Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. . .”
You and no one else. . .brings the change in your life. . .you determine your attitude and the kind of day you will have.
2. Prior proper planning preparing your attitude for tomorrow.
Seven things for you to do before you go to sleep each night.
First, create a to-do list of the things you plan to accomplish tomorrow. List them by priorities based on your goals in the six major areas of your life. . .spiritual, family, financial, physical, mental and social.
Be like Santa. . .make your list. . .check it twice.
Second, journal the great things that happened to you during the day. Regardless of how your day went. . .you have something to rejoice over. If nothing else and I mean nothing else. . .you have the ability to read and hear the words I’m speaking from my notes.
I GUARANTEE … you’ll sleep better at night if you end your day by Praising God.
Third, create a nightly confession about tomorrow being the best day of your life. Something like this.
"Heavenly Father, I thank you <<date>> will be the greatest <<day>> of my life...a day filled with opportunities beyond my imagination and expectation. A day filled with revelatory insight and divine connections. My desire is for you to be glorified in everything I do on <<day, date>>. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen."
Fourth, never go to bed mad or frustrated with your spouse or children. If it’s something that can’t be resolved instantly, write out the problem briefly on a sheet of paper. Pray over it. . .lay it on your night stand. . .and ask God to deal with it while He’s giving you sweet sleep.
Proverbs 3:24 says:
“When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.”
Fifth, clean up. . .pick up. . .so you’ll be ready to get up. Do the dishes and clean up your living area before going to bed. Believe it or not, you’ll be glad you did in the morning. It may seem like a small thing. . .but it gives you a better start on the day when you don’t have a lot of left over chores to face first thing.
Sixth, lay out what you plan to wear tomorrow. This will save you time in the morning, eliminate indecision, wipe out time delays and ultimately save you some frustration.
Seventh, plan how you will dress your mind tomorrow. Lay out what CDs or teachings you will listen to on your smart phone. Never just settle for what happens to be airing on your commute. . .it needs to be a conscious decision on your part.
3. Begin your day with happy hour.
I’m not talking about alcoholic spirits. . .I’m talking about getting high with the Holy Spirit. . .during the first hour of your day.
My scriptural guide for the morning is found in Psalm 5:3 in the New International Version which says:
“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."
My morning expectation brings daily manifestation and His rewards.
Proverbs 24:14 in the Amplified Bible says: “So shall you know skillful and godly Wisdom to be thus to your life; if you find it, then shall there be a future and a reward, and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off."
Many mornings. . .I get ready for the day by listening to “O Happy Day” by the Edwin Hawkins Singers. . .because that’s what I’m going to have … a Happy Day.
Begin each day filled with supernatural expectation about the manifestation of God’s presence, peace, protection, promises, power, promotion and provision.
And by the way, it’s not unusual for me to play “O Happy Day” three, four or five times consecutively.
Begin every day with a positive expectancy about supernatural favor, divine connections, revelatory insight and yes, and even your goals being accomplished.
Let me ask you a question.
Do you expect to feel His presence during your prayer, Bible reading and meditation time each morning?
If not, why not? Maybe it’s because of the way you’re beginning your day.
4. “Keep the main thing. . .the main thing.”
Stephen Covey in his powerful book “Seven Secrets Of Highly Effective People” said:
“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
If you have not read this book . . .I strongly encourage you to do so.
The main thing. . .is another way of saying “stay focused.”
Jesus was focused. He knew why He was here.
Luke 19:10 says:
“For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.”
Jesus stayed focused on His mission. . .He kept the main thing the main thing.
John 9:4 in The Living Bible says:
“All of us must quickly carry out the task assigned us by the one who sent me for there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end.”
Earlier in this teaching I suggested you create a daily “to-do list.” This list should be a reflection of your goals and the timeline you’ve created to accomplish them on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly plan.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist or computer geek to break down your goals into a doable plan. If you have difficulty. . .just send me an email and I will help. However, remember the word “concise” when emailing me.
When you’re accomplishing things on your to-do list. . .it pumps you up and gives you a whole new attitude about your ability to accomplish the things God has stirred in your spirit.
You will also find it beneficial to create and monitor your own “not to-do list.” Things such as:
Don’t spend time talking with negative people. . .if you have a choice. Stay away from news programs that fill your mind with negative events. Be careful of time vampires. . .who will suck the very time out of your day and life.
I could go on. . .but I believe you will notice that I just suggest staying away from negative people and events. . .again, where you have a choice.
What kind of friends do I want to hang around with? You can find the answer by reading The Message Bible translation of 3 John 2 which says:
“We're the best of friends, and I pray for good fortune in everything you do, and for your good health—that your everyday affairs prosper, as well as your soul!”
Negative people tend to break your focus and hinder your ability to keep the main thing the main thing.
5. What you sow you will REAP but not what you may be thinking. This is not primarily about seedtime and harvest though it could be.
REAP stands for “Recognition, Encouragement, Appreciation and Praise.” There will be times when you will need to engage in self-talk and motivation to keep your attitude where it needs to be.
If you don’t have a domestic support staff. . .meaning a spouse or children who can encourage you by speaking a word in season. . .by bringing a little positive sunshine in your attitude. . .here are three things you should do.
First, recognize the role you play in motivating and encouraging yourself.
1 Samuel 30:6 says:
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
In times of great trouble, danger and distress. . .when all seemed lost. . .the scripture says that David encouraged himself in the Lord.
David and his men returned from battle to find the enemy had stolen their wives, children, possessions and valuables. All they found in their camp was the smoldering remains from the fires of enemy invaders.
David’s men. . .who had been so loyal to him . . .were ready to turn on him and stone him to death. . .but the scripture says “David encouraged himself in the Lord.”
Just so you know. . .there will be moments where you need to encourage and recognize yourself.
Second, you may have to appreciate your efforts because nobody else does. So it’s just you and the Lord.
1 Corinthians 16:18 in The Living Bible says:
“They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.”
Third, Praise God for what He has done and is doing through your life.
Psalm 35:28 in the Amplified Bible offers some pretty good advice:
“And my tongue shall talk of Your righteousness, rightness, and justice, and of [my reasons for] Your praise all the day long.”
Without question, if you want to feel the presence of the Lord fast, then start praising Him.
Recognition, appreciation and praise. . .bring encouragement which affects your attitude. There was a time in my life when I created my own awards ceremony recognizing what God had allowed me to accomplish.
6. Be a doer. . .not a talker. . .not a tryer. . .but a doer.
The best way to develop the God-kind of attitude is by being a doer.
Just having a positive mental attitude is not enough. I’ve met some super positive people who never accomplish a thing in their lives. . .because they weren’t doers of the Word.
You may have read hundreds of books on having a positive mental attitude, heard thousands of sermons, watched dozens of Christian television programs, attended motivational seminars and Holy Spirit conferences, run around the sanctuary of your church, fallen out in the spirit BUT if you aren’t doing—PRACTICING what you’ve heard then you are deceiving yourself.
James 1:22 says:
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
According to Strong’s Concordance the word doer is the Greek work poiētēs (G4163) and it means:
“a maker, a producer, author, a doer, performer; one who obeys or fulfills the law.”
Nowhere in that definition do we read where a doer is a talker.
James 1:22 in the Amplified Bible says:
“But be doers of the Word (obey the message), and not merely listening to it; betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the truth.].”
“Obey the message.” What is the message that God wants you to obey? He wants you to do what He says.
When Peter heard Jesus say “Come” he received the authority to get out of the boat, however nothing would have ever happened if he just heard the word. It was only when Peter became a doer of the word that he was able to get out of the boat.
The word Peter heard gave him more than a positive attitude it “empowered” him but still he had to take the first step. God has given us His Word to energize our faith. . .to get us out of the boat.
It’s time for each of us to stop talking about what we’re going to do and just do it.
When you do. . .you accomplish. . .which not only gives you personal satisfaction. . .it gives your Heavenly Father pleasure in you.
7. The God-kind of attitude will allow you to do what others say can’t be done.
The right kind of attitude. . .the kind Jesus had. . .will allow you to persist through adversity until you gain the victory. No matter what the naysayers. . .say.
A six-year old boy was sent home from school with a note from his teacher recommending that he removed from school because he was “too stupid to learn.” The boy was Thomas Edison
In 1929 movie studio mogul Samuel Goldwyn was furious with his casting director for arranging a screen test of an unknown actress. He said: “What are you guys trying to do to me? You think I’m going to hire a dame with those big pop-eyes who talks funny like she does?”
Several years later, Samuel Goldwyn paid top dollar for that young woman to star in some of his hit movies. Here name: Betty Davis.
Englishman David Puttnam offered his latest screenplay to Columbia Pictures only to receive this response. “I’m sorry to tell you this has no validity at all in the American marketplace, because of the style and tone as well as the subject matter.”
Later, that motion picture Chariots of Fire won the 1981 Oscar for Best Picture.
How about this quote?
“The cheek of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat, and dish-watery utterances of a man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as President of the United States.”
The quote was from the Chicago Times. . .in 1865. . .the day after Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
Someone once said:
“The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.”
Never let anyone else’s words or demeanor affect your attitude and purpose in life.
I used to have a cross-stitch quote which said:
“The greatest joy in life is doing what others say can’t be done.”
How do you do it? Developing, maintaining and strengthening the God-kind of attitude.
James 5:16 in the Amplified Bible says:
". . .The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]."
Tap into this power. . .it’s an attitude changer.
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