By Elder James Groce
Aspiring young pilots are taught early in flight training that, “Attitude determines Altitude.” It’s a shame that young Christians are not taught the same lesson. Many lives that met shipwreck perhaps could have been spared if the lesson of maintaining correct attitudes had been etched into their minds early on.
Maintaining a proper attitude is beyond the capability of the carnal mind. The carnal mind may strive to learn the lessons of “positive thinking,” and all the other teachings of the hucksters of “success thinking,” but it is at a loss to produce overcoming spiritual attitudes. The only agent that can produce attitudes that are righteous, godly, pure and need not to be repented of, is the Holy Ghost.
The root cause of every church split; every slanderous remark; every back-sliding; every gossiping tongue; every unrepentant heart is a wrong attitude. Nothing in life is as important as possessing the “mind of Christ.” It is possible to face all the world and the devil can throw at you and keep your spiritual equilibrium, when in possession of the “mind of Christ.” A Christian can face false accusation, ridicule, animosity, persecution, slander, and even bodily injury and still maintain an attitude that is both pleasing and acceptable to God.
The Bible clearly declares that the proof of anyone’s attitude is manifested through their actions–Matthew 7:16 “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” Anyone professing the Holy Ghost should study Galatians 5:22-25, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Is it any wonder that much space was given to our Lord’s discourse of the BE-ATTITUDES? Are not the Scriptures replete with such admonitions as, Proverbs 16:32, “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city,” and “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he,” and Luke 6:29 “And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.” All these scriptures and many more clearly illustrate that ATTITUDE is everything in the Kingdom of God.
Since these attitudes are not possible to obtain through our carnal nature, we must acquire them by way of the altar. Prayer, the great attitude adjuster, and preaching, the revealed wisdom of God, can produce in us the BE-ATTITUDES. How many souls could have been salvaged if they would have had presence of mind to bring their carnal attitude to an altar for an overhaul? How many churches could have been spared the agony of internal conflict if murmuring and complaining saints would have spent ample time in a prayer room? How many homes could have survived intact if Mom and Dad would have listened to the preaching and sought God earnestly at an altar
until their destructive attitudes were dissolved by the Holy Ghost?
Is it time for a trip to the altar? Does your attitude need a Holy Ghost adjustment? Frequently we all need to pray, “Lord, save me from myself!”
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