AS A MAN THINKS SO IS HE

Attitude

By analogy I want to suggest that much of the success or failure of a man’s life depends, not so much upon the events that come into that life, as upon the attitudes with which the man faces the events of his life. Proverbs 23:7 says, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, But his heart is not with you.(NKJV) The basic attitudes that we hold largely determine whether life seems heavy and burdensome, or whether we rise over our difficulties to become radiantly triumphant. One man with essentially the same circumstances of life becomes a great person; another becomes discouraged, despondent, and eventually a failure. Much of the final outcome depends upon the attitude of heart.

The Hyper-Critical Attitude

Let us see some of the attitudes of life that men have. We can divide them into negative attitudes and positive attitudes. We could have said bad attitudes and good attitudes. Of course, there will not be time to list all of the attitudes, but a few significant ones can be mentioned. First of all, on the negative side there is the hyper-critical attitude that so many people drift into. This is looking at everything through a ill eye. If it is a television program or a radio program, the hyper-critical do not see the skill of the excellence, but the faults. If it is the behavior of a neighbour that is being considered, the good things pass unnoticed, but any flaws are singled out for special attention.

Judge Not

It is to easy to get into the negative way of thinking; it is so easy to see the faults about us; it is to easy to become critical, and even hypercritical. It is particularly easy as we grow older and as our physical infirmities increase in number. Yet this is one of the attitudes of life that each one of us wants to avoid. It is one of the attitudes of life that each one of us must avoid, for this is what Jesus was speaking of in the Sermon on the Mount, when he said Matthew 7:1"Judge not, that you be not judged. Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Matthew 7:3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?(NKJV) The attitude that we have toward others is going to be the standard of measurement that God will use on us when we stand before him in judgment.

It is in my Bible, in Matt. 6:14-15, that the same emphasis is given at the end of the model prayer that Jesus taught his disciples. After he had told them to pray like this, Matthew 6:9 In this manner, therefore, pray: “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name”.(NKJV) He concluded by saying, Matthew 6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”(NKJV). The uncritical, kind person with the generous heart is the one who is most nearly like our Lord.

The Closed Mind

Another negative attitude that we should want to avoid is the attitude of the closed mind. When Jesus was here on earth he performed the greatest miracles that have ever been performed. He healed the sick of every kind; he even raised the dead. But tragically the Pharisees and the Sadducees--the leaders of the Jews--had so set their minds, had such unchangeable convictions of what the Messiah would be like, that they could not see the real Messiah and so passed him by. In the 9th chapter of Luke is told that interesting little episode of Jesus wanting to spend the night in a town in Samaria. The Samaritans turned him away, however, closing their gates against the blessings that he might have brought them through his teaching and through his working of miracles. They cursed themselves because they had closed minds.

A passage that comes to mind in this connection is Acts 13:46, in which the apostle Paul is in Antioch of Pisidia preaching. Acts 13:46:Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.(NKJV) The attitude of the closed mind has blocked in ancient times and in modern times a great many people in their real desire of knowing God and being saved. The closed mind is an unworthy attitude.

The Attitude of Envy

There is also the attitude of envy or jealousy. Unfortunately, our world divides itself into classes of people. There are those who are called rich and those who are called poor. Usually the poor have a rather negative view of the rich. A man who has to struggle to pay his bills at the end of the month usually has a rather bitter attitude toward those who do not have such a struggle. In similar fashion there have come to be tensions between employers and employees, between parents and children, and between many other groups. It is so easy for one group to look at another and not like the other group. The attitude of jealousy, or of wanting what somebody else has, is an attitude that destroys the ones who want. It hurts both groups, but it always hurts the one who envies most.

In Exodus 20:17 is the tenth of the ten commandments:  "You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour's."(NKJV) The attitude of wanting what other people have whether it be education, or house, or money, is an attitude that brings disintegration to our own hearts.

Let us rejoice with those who have more than we have. Let us be thankful for their blessings and wish them well. Let us be concerned for their welfare as we are for our own.

The Attitude of Hatred

The attitude of jealousy slips easily into the attitude of hatred, the attitude of retaliation. It is sometimes expressed, “He can’t do that to me. I’ll get even if it’s the last thing I do.” This is an attitude condemned in the writings of Paul to the Romans. In the great twelfth chapter of Romans, near the end, Paul writes, Romans 12:19“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Romans 12:20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."(NKJV)

Matthew 18:21:Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Matthew 18:22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven”.(NKJV)

We must have the attitude toward others, not of hatred or of retaliation, but of kindness and good will.

There are other attitudes like the attitude of pride, in which we become the center of our lives and become proud of ourselves. The Jews had that problem. When John the Baptist came to introduce Christ he said, Matthew 3:9 and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.(NKJV) The Jews were proud of the blood in their veins, proud of their traditions. Pride has always been ugly and always will be. The self-centered attitude, the attitude of fear and many more are attitudes that Christians wish to avoid.

The Attitude of Optimism

“Are there no positive attitudes?” you ask. I can suggest two. One is the attitude of optimism that makes us feel warm and glad. A smile and a spirit of optimism help us to feel good. I have noticed that it never helps very much when someone says, “How are you?” to pause and delineate all your ailments. You find that people hardly listen as they pass on by.

Christian optimism is deeper; however, than just saying “Wonderful” when people ask you how you are. This optimistic view of life is deep because it is based upon the faith that we are God’s children and that he will care for us. Romans 8:28:And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.(NKJV) That is why the Christian can say “Wonderful” at any stage in his life. Things may have taken a turn we do not wish, but we remember who we are. We are God’s children, made in his image, on our way to live with him eternally. A few ups and downs in life do not really change the total picture. The attitude of optimism is possible only when you are God’s child and only when you really believe his promises.

The Attitude of Love and Respect

Along with this attitude there is the attitude of love and respect. First of all, it ought to mean love and respect toward God. Mark 12:29: Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Mark 12:30: And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. Mark 12:31: And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."(NKJV) This is a desire for their good, as we said it briefly a few moments ago. We pray a prayer that their children may prosper and be in health, as we pray for our own. We pray a prayer for the other man’s success in business, as we pray for our own success. Think of the passage Romans 12:10: Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;(NKJV) It is an attitude of good will, an attitude of real concern for other people. Paul says it in Galatians 6:2: Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.(NKJV)

There are other attitudes that I would like to mention, but these stand out against the negative attitudes of destructiveness. These are the positive Christian attitudes--love, respect and good will toward God and toward one’s fellowmen. It is doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. We do it first. The attitude of optimism, based on the foundation of faith that we are God’s children, also is fundamentally right. We go through life, then, not borne down by the weight of envy or hatreds or some other of the negative attitudes, but we go through life happier and more useful because we have set our sails in the right direction.

Finally

Yes, a man’s attitudes are basic in determining whether he is going to be happy and whether he is going to be successful. Tell me a man’s basic attitudes and I will tell you how many friends he has. Tell me a man’s attitudes and I will tell you whether he is doing well in his business or not. Deeper still, our attitudes also will determine where we will spend eternity. Our attitudes toward God and Christ and toward their commands are basic. Our attitude toward Christ is the most important attitude of our lives, for it will determine whether we accept him as our Savior and obey his commands. Let us open our hearts and let Christ come in.