According to the dictionary, the word "attitude" means "an internal position or feeling with regard to something else." Other words often used as synonyms are: "disposition, feeling, mood, opinion, sentiment, temper, tone, perspective, frame of mind, outlook, view, or morale."
Airplane pilots often use the word "attitude" to describe the horizontal relationship of an airplane to the runway as the aircraft is positioned for landing. If the airplane’s attitude isn’t aligned properly, in this case “level to the runway surface”, the plane will make contact with the ground at the wrong angle which will cause a crash.
In essence, your attitude is your inward disposition toward other things, such as people or circumstances. As with an airplane, attitude is applied whenever you must deal with something other than yourself. According to God’s Word, when you become a Christian, a part of your new creation is the development of new attitudes — your attitudes about everything and everyone should become like those of Jesus.
The Bible says, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:" (Philippians 2:5). "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off the old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds." (Ephesians 4:22 NIV)
Most of us can easily identify bad attitudes when they are displayed outwardly in words or actions, such a negativeness, criticalness, rebellion, defiance, impatience, uncooperative, apathy, discouragement, independence, presumption, arrogance, self-centeredness, rudeness and such. These are examples of bad attitudes which Christians should reject.
However, keep in mind, attitudes are inner dispositions of the heart and thoughts — they are the hidden intentions which will eventually serve as the basis for our actions. "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." (Prov. 23:7). In reality, no one else really knows the thoughts of your heart, except you and God. Consequently, attitude is something that only you and God can work out — a change which must take place inwardly.
No doubt you know someone with a bad attitude and you’ve witnessed the negative outcomes it produces. Consider good ‘ol George. He went to church cheerfully as long as his secular business activities continued to prosper — as long as everything went well for him. He sang joyfully, gave to the needy, he even tithed and he rarely missed a service. But when hard times set in on his business, George began to drop away. He became resentful toward God, even critical of other Christians. When his world began to crumble, so did his attitude toward others.
The right attitude to have when difficulty comes is to persevere in faith and draw nearer to God — to fall in deep humility at the feet of Jesus. The Bible makes it clear that God works all things together for our good when we love Him, and the testing of our faith is for our benefit. Life’s troubles will never defeat the person with a right attitude.
Here’s another scenario to illustrate a bad attitude. Call her Sally. She has been a Christian for only two years and very much a newborn in Christ. She acts like she loves the Lord and is trying to live as a Christian, but has been battling sins of the flesh — she occasionally fell to the temptation of drunkenness. Sally is observed one evening by the preacher of her church and his family at a restaurant, where they see her slouching at the bar, obviously intoxicated. The next Sunday after service, the preacher and his wife took Sally aside privately, and encourage her ever so gently about the sins of drunkenness. They are not harsh or judgmental. He encouraged her to work on changing of this activity [i.e., repentance] and they prayed with her.
The outcome? Sally was offended by the preacher’s forthrightness. She immediately changed churches and would often be heard "bad-mouthing" that church, the preacher and its leaders. How should Sally have reacted? First, she should have had a humble, submissive attitude toward the preacher’s loving counsel about her behavior of sin which was based totally on God’s Word (2 Tim. 4:2, 1 Cor. 5:11-13, Gal. 5:19-21, Gal. 6:1). The counsel provided was “God’s” conveyed by the preacher. She didn’t have the right attitude.
As a general rule, persons who have a bad attitude toward authority figures in the church will almost always have a problem with God.
According to scripture, your attitude toward life, toward your personal circumstances, and toward other people should always be like the Lord’s — as is defined by scripture. Good attitudes are generally demonstrated in being positive, encouraging, loving, humble, teachable, cooperative, considerate, selfless, loyal, persevering... (Galatians 5:22-23).
Bring your attitudes about every aspect of your life into harmonious obedience to God’s Word. Apply discipline to your thought life — harmonize your thoughts to those of Christ’s. Make what you think and how you think about everything, a spot-on match with our Lord’s thoughts. A good attitude is a matter of faith, disregarding your feelings, with a determination to embrace God’s outlook and disposition.
2 Corinthians 10:5 wisely counsels... "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ..."
Philippians 4:8 says... "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy; meditate on these things."
Dwell on the things that God’s Word tells us — those good and virtuous things. If you dwell on the negative things of a carnal world, then your attitude will reflect the same.
