positive attitudes - dude!
Last week we focused on negative attitudes that symbolically we wear around like clothing. Fear, ingratitude and despair are three articles of clothing that we could all do without wearing. To be free we need to get those things off and get them out of our life.
(Like the truck we followed on Friday) They are like a bad smell hanging around us.
Tonight we concentrate on the opposite of these negative attitudes and we begin to think about how to live them in our life. How to live them out in our day to day activity.
As with many things our mind decides our attitudes - If you look at things through a negative perspective you will see negative things. If you look at things through a positive attitude you will see positives.
The bible describes these attitudes to be like clothes. Its the things that we put on to our lives. Things that have a lasting effect on ourselves but also on others as well.
These three things that are the topic of our discussion tonight are kingdom values. When I say kingdom values I mean things that Jesus endorses. Its elements of life that Jesus sees as important and wants to foster in his people. Its Gods way in our life.
Kingdom values are also the best way to live life. So if you follow a kingdom way of living then you are going to be living in the best possible manner. Actually – living in the way that you were intended! And when Jesus returns again – and make no mistake he will return – these values, this way of living with be an everyday event. Just like air.
So the three things that form tonight's topic are; faith, thankfulness and hope.
Faith
We do things by faith all the time. The internal combustion engine is an act of faith! Every time I go online a pay a bill or buy something it’s an act of faith. Getting to work on time is an act of faith. Who here knows what you are going to do tomorrow? - Planning for tomorrow is an act of faith!
We use faith all the time, every day. We operate by faith – if you really stop and think about it. We take it for granted.
But a spiritual attitude for faith well that’s something entirely different! Let me tell you what the bottom line of spiritual faith is and why it’s opposite to fear (which was last week).
An attitude of faith leads us to live our life in expectancy that all things are in God’s hands and that we can trust him.
Now when you read the bible its clear that there are two sources when it comes to faith
God gives you faith. Some people have the gift of faith – that is they can see what is yet to be put in place. They understand how God is working and can see his actions before they happen.
But also that faith is something you develop on your own. Most of us are asked to believe that God is good to his word. – it seems to me that there is enough information about God to believe if you want to or not enough information to doubt if you want to. Faith is trusting that God has you in his hand.
This is why it’s opposite to fear, because fear narrows down whereas faith opens up. Fear says its all ending and faith says it’s just the beginning. Fear doesn’t trust but faith does.
So how do you foster faith as a garment as an attitude in your life?
Moses on the mountain – cover your face. When you have been with Jesus then you will look like him. You cannot have faith in God unless you know God.
Use what you have got – so trust in a small circumstance that God has got your best interest at heart and go with that.
Faith does increase – like exercise.
Surround yourself with people who have got it and read stories of those who have great faith.
Consciously be asking him every day to see further than the rest. To look at life and circumstance with the eyes of faith.
When you live life out of faith, it is different because most people live life out of fear! And others will see and they will ask you what is going on in your life for you to be like that. And then you will be able to tell them about the one you have faith in. and it’s so simple. I have faith in Jesus because he has never let me or my family down and he has made so much sense of my life. I don’t have to be fearful, even though there is much to be afraid of.
Consciously wear the attitude of faith and see what happens this week – you will notice the difference.
Thankfulness
The second point - thankfulness
As I pointed out last week society is not too good with thankfulness. Thankfulness cuts across consumerism – and boy oh boy are we in love with consumerism! We love stuff, we love buying stuff, the more the better. Not many are thankful for what they have already got.
A survey done on mature Christians that identify thankfulness as a key component of their spirituality. That is mature well developed Christians are thankful people – they are satisfied with their lot in life and respond out of that to an extent that it shows. Not only are they thankful people they are happy and contented. And that’s something that many people would like to have. The more they try and find it with money the more it eludes them.
Not many people even say thank you these days. Many just expect. Do you find that? Do you find yourself expecting things because they are your right? That’s opposite to an attitude of thankfulness. And attitude of thankfulness says that everything is a gift from God, to be enjoyed, appreciated and treasured. Not taken for granted.
Marriage the prime example of thankfulness.
An attitude of thankfulness is living life seeing that all things come from the hand of God and that even thought we think we might not have enough we actually have all we need.
How do you foster an attitude of thankfulness in your life?
Only buy what you need not what you want – figuring out the difference in that is important.
The old %10 rule for tithing is actually important. You should give that much away every week.
Stop looking at catalogues and TV adds that promote buying.
Help out at a homeless shelter.
Join the mission group at church.
Subscribe to something like the voice of the martyrs or similar to see how many other Christians live.
Ask God to open your eyes so that you might really see what is important (and this is the bottom line – thankfulness sees what is important and cuts away the rest – don’t you want to see what is important in life?!)
The third piece of clothing or attitude is the biggie – hope.
Hope
Do not think that hope is some sort of wishful thinking that is based more in fantasy than reality. Hope deals with the tangible.
The dictionary says that hope is; to yearn for something with expectation of its fulfilment. Faith says I believe that can happen, hope says I know that can happen.
Hope says that what we see is not the full reality but that there is more to come, so much more in fact that if we were to catch a glimpse we would be blown away by its full impact. Hope belongs in the realm of the supernatural and deals with the mystery of God who brings new things out of the old.
An attitude of hope does not let the present circumstance dictated the terms but tells us that life is more than ten and 3 score years. Hope laughs in the face of death. Hope is underscored by the God of the resurrection! And hope is powerful stuff. Underrated and undefeatable.
If you have ever cared to watch any move with a good guy against a whole stack of bad guys you will see the theme of hope. Western comics always the theme of hope. That in desperate time’s good will always win out against evil, that all the wrongs will be righted, that out of destruction salvation emerges.
The world knows about hope but doesn’t know how to access it. And so it becomes more and more filled with despair.
The church is in the hope business. We of all people ought to be known most for our hope; because our hope is founded on something deeper than human ability or wishful thinking. Martin Luther King was fond of citing a distinction between hope and optimism. Optimism believes in progress; that circumstances will get better. Hope, however, is built on the conviction that another reality, another Kingdom, already exists. And so hope endures when hype fades.
Psychologist Martin Seligman, though not religious himself, notes that not only does faith produce hopeful people, but more robust faith produces more robust hope. A great hoper known as Julian of Norwich sang her song from the depths of the Black Plague-infested fourteenth century:
But all shall be well,And all shall be well,And all manner of things shall be well…He did not say, "You shall know no storms, no travails, no disease,"He said, "You shall not be overcome."
How do we develop an attitude of hope?
· Stand fast to what you know is the truth – and get your truth from the most reliable of sources – the bible. Hope says everything will be made right in the end.
· Lady in I am Legend – its so quiet now, you can hear God’s voice. Get to a quiet place to hear his voice. Learn to hear the hope.
· Seek every day to find that other kingdom among the ordinary. What I mean is that God is working in your life and in the lives of those around you – it’s up to us to perceive the hope for today.
What is at stake for us not to do these things? What happens if we don’t foster these attitudes in our lives? Well to some extent we remain like that stinking garbage truck, we remain filled with fear, and ingratitude and despair and in a sense we are not really very nice to be around. The bible says that we are the aroma of Christ to those who are dying. In other words we are attractive because the people who are on the look out for a different way can sense that in us. And that’s what God has called us to do. He has called us to be saved, be renewed and then to tell others about it. We tell others how they can live life well, how they can be free, how they can be saved from all the fear and despair that’s all around. That’s what we have got to do. That’s why its so important to take off our old clothes and put on these new ones. To replace our attitudes with kingdom ones. To take away our old corrupt selves, the full part of us that stinks and get Gods new way of living. And in doing that others will be impacted and see that this Jesus thingo is not just some fad but makes a huge difference in how we live our lives and how we perceive the world.
You must not be deluded to the fact that God is working in us for a reason. God wants to transform us so that we can witness to his work in our lives and so that we can be examples of people who live like they are in the kingdom. There are so many others who need to hear and see and sense this change and you and I are called to be the ones who do that.
God doesn’t want you to be a nice person. God doesn’t want you to be a good church goer or a model citizen. God wants you to be a radical transformed agent for his mission in this world. A living example of how someone in the hands of a holy loving God can be renewed and live differently.
The way you live in respect to your attitudes has a direct bearing on how you influence others around you. Its time to get your attitudes in order so that God can use you for his mission in this world. Don’t play with it, don’t baulk at it. Its time to step up to the plate. Get serious about growing faith, fostering thankfulness and living out of hope. Get serious about knowing the one who makes all these things possible. Get serious about the negative influence of the world or stop playing with the kingdom.
God is calling soldiers to join the ranks. Are you ready to join your attitudes to Gods, to be under his orders? If so the time is now. Pull on your boots, get rid of the old stuff and lets all follow Jesus.
Faith, thankfulness and hope are the areas to work in.
(Like the truck we followed on Friday) They are like a bad smell hanging around us.
Tonight we concentrate on the opposite of these negative attitudes and we begin to think about how to live them in our life. How to live them out in our day to day activity.
As with many things our mind decides our attitudes - If you look at things through a negative perspective you will see negative things. If you look at things through a positive attitude you will see positives.
The bible describes these attitudes to be like clothes. Its the things that we put on to our lives. Things that have a lasting effect on ourselves but also on others as well.
These three things that are the topic of our discussion tonight are kingdom values. When I say kingdom values I mean things that Jesus endorses. Its elements of life that Jesus sees as important and wants to foster in his people. Its Gods way in our life.
Kingdom values are also the best way to live life. So if you follow a kingdom way of living then you are going to be living in the best possible manner. Actually – living in the way that you were intended! And when Jesus returns again – and make no mistake he will return – these values, this way of living with be an everyday event. Just like air.
So the three things that form tonight's topic are; faith, thankfulness and hope.
Faith
We do things by faith all the time. The internal combustion engine is an act of faith! Every time I go online a pay a bill or buy something it’s an act of faith. Getting to work on time is an act of faith. Who here knows what you are going to do tomorrow? - Planning for tomorrow is an act of faith!
We use faith all the time, every day. We operate by faith – if you really stop and think about it. We take it for granted.
But a spiritual attitude for faith well that’s something entirely different! Let me tell you what the bottom line of spiritual faith is and why it’s opposite to fear (which was last week).
An attitude of faith leads us to live our life in expectancy that all things are in God’s hands and that we can trust him.
Now when you read the bible its clear that there are two sources when it comes to faith
God gives you faith. Some people have the gift of faith – that is they can see what is yet to be put in place. They understand how God is working and can see his actions before they happen.
But also that faith is something you develop on your own. Most of us are asked to believe that God is good to his word. – it seems to me that there is enough information about God to believe if you want to or not enough information to doubt if you want to. Faith is trusting that God has you in his hand.
This is why it’s opposite to fear, because fear narrows down whereas faith opens up. Fear says its all ending and faith says it’s just the beginning. Fear doesn’t trust but faith does.
So how do you foster faith as a garment as an attitude in your life?
Moses on the mountain – cover your face. When you have been with Jesus then you will look like him. You cannot have faith in God unless you know God.
Use what you have got – so trust in a small circumstance that God has got your best interest at heart and go with that.
Faith does increase – like exercise.
Surround yourself with people who have got it and read stories of those who have great faith.
Consciously be asking him every day to see further than the rest. To look at life and circumstance with the eyes of faith.
When you live life out of faith, it is different because most people live life out of fear! And others will see and they will ask you what is going on in your life for you to be like that. And then you will be able to tell them about the one you have faith in. and it’s so simple. I have faith in Jesus because he has never let me or my family down and he has made so much sense of my life. I don’t have to be fearful, even though there is much to be afraid of.
Consciously wear the attitude of faith and see what happens this week – you will notice the difference.
Thankfulness
The second point - thankfulness
As I pointed out last week society is not too good with thankfulness. Thankfulness cuts across consumerism – and boy oh boy are we in love with consumerism! We love stuff, we love buying stuff, the more the better. Not many are thankful for what they have already got.
A survey done on mature Christians that identify thankfulness as a key component of their spirituality. That is mature well developed Christians are thankful people – they are satisfied with their lot in life and respond out of that to an extent that it shows. Not only are they thankful people they are happy and contented. And that’s something that many people would like to have. The more they try and find it with money the more it eludes them.
Not many people even say thank you these days. Many just expect. Do you find that? Do you find yourself expecting things because they are your right? That’s opposite to an attitude of thankfulness. And attitude of thankfulness says that everything is a gift from God, to be enjoyed, appreciated and treasured. Not taken for granted.
Marriage the prime example of thankfulness.
An attitude of thankfulness is living life seeing that all things come from the hand of God and that even thought we think we might not have enough we actually have all we need.
How do you foster an attitude of thankfulness in your life?
Only buy what you need not what you want – figuring out the difference in that is important.
The old %10 rule for tithing is actually important. You should give that much away every week.
Stop looking at catalogues and TV adds that promote buying.
Help out at a homeless shelter.
Join the mission group at church.
Subscribe to something like the voice of the martyrs or similar to see how many other Christians live.
Ask God to open your eyes so that you might really see what is important (and this is the bottom line – thankfulness sees what is important and cuts away the rest – don’t you want to see what is important in life?!)
The third piece of clothing or attitude is the biggie – hope.
Hope
Do not think that hope is some sort of wishful thinking that is based more in fantasy than reality. Hope deals with the tangible.
The dictionary says that hope is; to yearn for something with expectation of its fulfilment. Faith says I believe that can happen, hope says I know that can happen.
Hope says that what we see is not the full reality but that there is more to come, so much more in fact that if we were to catch a glimpse we would be blown away by its full impact. Hope belongs in the realm of the supernatural and deals with the mystery of God who brings new things out of the old.
An attitude of hope does not let the present circumstance dictated the terms but tells us that life is more than ten and 3 score years. Hope laughs in the face of death. Hope is underscored by the God of the resurrection! And hope is powerful stuff. Underrated and undefeatable.
If you have ever cared to watch any move with a good guy against a whole stack of bad guys you will see the theme of hope. Western comics always the theme of hope. That in desperate time’s good will always win out against evil, that all the wrongs will be righted, that out of destruction salvation emerges.
The world knows about hope but doesn’t know how to access it. And so it becomes more and more filled with despair.
The church is in the hope business. We of all people ought to be known most for our hope; because our hope is founded on something deeper than human ability or wishful thinking. Martin Luther King was fond of citing a distinction between hope and optimism. Optimism believes in progress; that circumstances will get better. Hope, however, is built on the conviction that another reality, another Kingdom, already exists. And so hope endures when hype fades.
Psychologist Martin Seligman, though not religious himself, notes that not only does faith produce hopeful people, but more robust faith produces more robust hope. A great hoper known as Julian of Norwich sang her song from the depths of the Black Plague-infested fourteenth century:
But all shall be well,And all shall be well,And all manner of things shall be well…He did not say, "You shall know no storms, no travails, no disease,"He said, "You shall not be overcome."
How do we develop an attitude of hope?
· Stand fast to what you know is the truth – and get your truth from the most reliable of sources – the bible. Hope says everything will be made right in the end.
· Lady in I am Legend – its so quiet now, you can hear God’s voice. Get to a quiet place to hear his voice. Learn to hear the hope.
· Seek every day to find that other kingdom among the ordinary. What I mean is that God is working in your life and in the lives of those around you – it’s up to us to perceive the hope for today.
What is at stake for us not to do these things? What happens if we don’t foster these attitudes in our lives? Well to some extent we remain like that stinking garbage truck, we remain filled with fear, and ingratitude and despair and in a sense we are not really very nice to be around. The bible says that we are the aroma of Christ to those who are dying. In other words we are attractive because the people who are on the look out for a different way can sense that in us. And that’s what God has called us to do. He has called us to be saved, be renewed and then to tell others about it. We tell others how they can live life well, how they can be free, how they can be saved from all the fear and despair that’s all around. That’s what we have got to do. That’s why its so important to take off our old clothes and put on these new ones. To replace our attitudes with kingdom ones. To take away our old corrupt selves, the full part of us that stinks and get Gods new way of living. And in doing that others will be impacted and see that this Jesus thingo is not just some fad but makes a huge difference in how we live our lives and how we perceive the world.
You must not be deluded to the fact that God is working in us for a reason. God wants to transform us so that we can witness to his work in our lives and so that we can be examples of people who live like they are in the kingdom. There are so many others who need to hear and see and sense this change and you and I are called to be the ones who do that.
God doesn’t want you to be a nice person. God doesn’t want you to be a good church goer or a model citizen. God wants you to be a radical transformed agent for his mission in this world. A living example of how someone in the hands of a holy loving God can be renewed and live differently.
The way you live in respect to your attitudes has a direct bearing on how you influence others around you. Its time to get your attitudes in order so that God can use you for his mission in this world. Don’t play with it, don’t baulk at it. Its time to step up to the plate. Get serious about growing faith, fostering thankfulness and living out of hope. Get serious about knowing the one who makes all these things possible. Get serious about the negative influence of the world or stop playing with the kingdom.
God is calling soldiers to join the ranks. Are you ready to join your attitudes to Gods, to be under his orders? If so the time is now. Pull on your boots, get rid of the old stuff and lets all follow Jesus.
Faith, thankfulness and hope are the areas to work in.
posted by Jonathan at 12:49 PM
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