My Daily Pause

Our attitude in life affects us just like an aircraft’s attitude

Previously, we considered the idea that our prevailing attitude is important because it defines who we are and qualifies us as Christians. Since there are so many godly attitudes we can talk about, we will limit it to just a few today.

The book of Proverbs contains the richest set of practices and observations about what a godly attitude looks like. Let’s dig in!

Reverence for God

This key verse of the book of Proverbs reminds us of the baseline attitude we need to be successful Christians.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction – Proverbs 1:7

This kind of fear is reverence and respect. He is the Creator. He will be the Judge. Without this kind of attitude we will fail to know everything he wants us to know about him.

Contentment

Contentment is a big deal in the Bible. That’s not to say we are not to set goals and work hard to achieve them. A content attitude is one that lacks envy:

A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot – Proverbs 14:30

It requires godliness

But godliness with contentment is great gain… – 1 Timothy 6:6

And when we are well off, it requires that we remain generous:

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life – 1 Timothy 6:17-19

A Pure Heart

The Bible is full of warnings about what is in the heart. This one though, might summarize them all:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he – Proverbs 23:7 KJV

Whatever we do and say acts just like a meter indicating the level of purity in our heart. How good can we really be when we use crude language, lie, or fail to be encouragers?

Humbleness

I don’t know of any place in the Bible where pride good. It is definitely a dangerous attitude to have. Again, the Proverb writer sums it all up:

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall – Proverbs 16:18

At any point where we let pride get in the lead, hurt is likely to be following

Take Joy in Our Life

Being able to rejoice in any situation is another key attitude. The Bible says it is therapeutic:

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones – Proverbs 17:22

And it says whatever the situation, we have heaven to look forward to:

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven – Matthew 5:12a

Joy is important to Christianity because it is pretty hard to convince people to join us when we are a bunch of sad sacks!

Where do I start?

For many of us, there is a lot of work to do if we are only going to implement these. The good news is that they tend to develop when we live a certain lifestyle. With just a few habits, pointers and actions, the apostle Paul shows us how to develop these attitudes.

That’s where we’ll go next – Stay tuned!