Text: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
All of us have an attitude. Sometimes our attitude is positive and brings about a good outlook and sometimes it is negative and projects a bad image for the rest of the day. A positive attitude will put a smile on our face whereas a bad attitude will cause that smiley face to turn upside down and become a face with a frown.
Attitude is a feeling toward or in regard to some sort of matter. For example, some people cannot get started in the morning without a cup or two of coffee. If the coffee pot does not work, the individual gets upset and lets everyone else know they are upset. Chances are the person will be miserable the rest of the day and in turn will make everyone else miserable.
When an employee is reprimanded by his manager or supervisor for some matter, there is a chance the employee will develop a negative attitude toward that manager. If a negative attitude becomes the norm for an employee, the employee could be terminated or let go from the company.
On the other hand, if an employee always exhibits a positive attitude, that employee will be looked at as a positive asset to that company. The employee will do whatever needs to be done to satisfy the desires of his or her superiors. Little or nothing will bother the person with a positive attitude and their positive attitude will radiate outward to co-workers.
This same thing happens in churches. There are people in churches who do not want to be called upon to lend a hand, but when other people pitch in to work for the good of the church, these people develop an attitude toward the people who are helping. They may perceive the helpers as just looking for a pat on the back or getting on the good side of the minister or just showing their importance.
People can form attitudes about many things:
1. their spouse
2. their children
3. their friends
4. their job
5. drivers on the roads
6. education
7. political issues
8. computers
9. television programs
10. etc.
Charles Swindoll said this about attitude:
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…church…a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.
My attitude and your attitude should be Christ-like.
God’s attitude toward mankind was an attitude of love. When He created man, He created man in His own image. Scripture says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).
God has no physical body, but He created us to reflect His image or his character of love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, faithfulness, compassion, humility, and gentleness.
When disobedience in the Garden entered the picture sin came into the world. Disobedience to the will of God is a sin. Disobedience brought a separation between God and mankind. There was a void in this relationship. God’s heart was broken, but His love was so strong that He decided to give man another chance or another opportunity so spend eternity in His presence.
John recorded these words: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
When the baby Jesus was born, this was God in human form. Jesus was both God and man. He was completely human and He was completely divine. Paul put it this way: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).
Jesus is our salvation and He gives us everything we need to live a righteous life. The Cross is what bridges the gap or the void between God the Father and sinful man. God’s great love for us is seen in the blood of Jesus as it flowed from His body and dripped on the wood of the Cross and the ground beneath the Cross.
God’s love for mankind was so strong that He gave His Son to suffer the terrible beating or flogging that we should have suffered; to feel the pain of the thorns in His scalp meant for each of us; to carry the heavy Cross that we could never carry; and, to die a horrible painful death for each of us.
Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
This is God’s way of showing His love to each of His children. He wants us to spend eternity in His presence. Yes, we are born with a sinful nature, but God covers us with love, grace, and mercy.
God has an attitude of love for all of us. Does our attitude show this kind of love for the people in our life? Are we interested in helping others as God has helped us? If we have a Christ-like attitude, we will reflect His love to all whom we meet.
Jesus’ attitude was one of fellowship with the Father. Although Jesus was God incarnate or God in human flesh, He never said or showed that He was equal to God. He did have divine powers, but Jesus set aside these powers and lived as any other human-being. He lived with all the limitations you and I live under.
He could be in only one place at a time and each of His day consisted of 24 hours. He lived under the same limitations that other men lived under. He ate food like anyone else, dressed as other men dressed, conversed as any other man conversed, moved about like anyone else, possessed the five senses we all posses, etc.
The unique or distinctive difference between Jesus and the other people was that He was totally sinless. He was sinless because his conception did not involve an earthly father, but instead, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).
Adam was created sinless, but fell to the sin of disobedience. Jesus was created sinless and faced sin, but was never disobedient to the Father. He was sinless, but paid the price for our sins which gave us an opportunity to be acceptable to God Almighty.
Jesus had fellowship with His Father. He always called upon His Father for direction. When He was tempted by Satan, He quoted the Word of God. Communication through prayer was an important part of Jesus life. Scripture says, “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23).
No matter how busy Jesus was, He always found time to go off by Himself and pray. Do you and I have this attitude of wanting to spend time in fellowship with God? Do we find time to spend alone with our Father? Do we communicate with God only when we want something or we are in some sort of difficulty or do simply praise Him when all is going well for us?
Jesus not only had fellowship with His Father, but He always had time to help people in need. His many miracles demonstrate his concern for people. He had fellowship with the Samaritan woman who came to the well to draw water (John 4:7).
Jesus had fellowship with his disciples. “Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples” (John 6:3). Jesus had fellowship with his disciples as they celebrated Passover in the Upper Room. During this time of fellowship, He instituted the Lord’s Supper as a means of remembrance for what was about to happen.
A Christ-like attitude includes the desire to associate with or fellowship with people whom we meet in our daily walk through life. Is our attitude toward fellowship like that of Christ? Do we fellowship with the Holy Spirit? That is, do we listen as the Spirit speaks to us and then do we follow the instructions of the Holy Spirit?
Jesus had an attitude of tenderness and compassion. He had a tender place in His heart for people who were hurting. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
A shepherd will protect his sheep. Jesus came as our Shepherd to protect us and show us how to avoid the dangers and difficulties of life.
When people were sick and in need of healing, Jesus’ heart went out to them…”He had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14).
Jesus extended his compassion to the two blind beggars who sat along the road and shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us” (Matthew 20:30). He took time to stop and talk to them. Jesus asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32).
He already knew they wanted their sight, but He shows us his attitude of compassion by taking time to reach out to them. Do you and I project an attitude of tenderness and compassion when someone approaches us with the desire to talk to us because they are in need of help? If we have a Christ-like attitude, we will stop, listen, and then proceed to do all we can to help them make it through their crisis.
Jesus had the attitude of humbleness. Scripture says, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbles himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).
Another word for “humble” is “modest.” If we are Christ-like in attitude, we will be able to become modest or humble in our thinking and in our doing. We will not think more highly of ourselves than we really are. We will not place ourselves on a pedestal above other people. We will not exhibit a selfish attitude. We will not be puffed up with pride.
Our Christ-like attitude will be to serve others just as Jesus did. We will not be concerned about what we want, but instead, we will look out for the needs of others. We will not be looking for recognition or a pat on the back, but we will be looking for ways to help and encourage those who are less fortunate and are low in self-esteem.
Jesus said, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). The Father sent His Son into the world so serve mankind and show mankind, by example, how to serve others. Jesus is our example of God’s instructions for righteous living.
Jesus went out of His way to help others regardless of his itinerary. When Mary and Martha sent notice to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was sick, He did not respond in a hurrying manner. He delayed the journey two more days because He was following the instructions of His Father. This move was consistent in His life.
Jesus did not answer Mary and Martha’s request the way they expected, but He did answer according to the Father’s time schedule. God may not meet our needs according to our time frame or schedule, but we can be assured He will answer. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Things may not always work the way we want them to because our wants are not necessarily our needs. Our attitude should be Christ-like and that is to trust God and accept what he gives us.
Conclusion:
Our attitude should be to give God the highest place in our life. God was the pinnacle in the life of Jesus. God revealed Himself to us in the Person of Jesus and that name needs to be above every other name we know.
We need to exhibit the Christ-like attitude of love as demonstrated by God when He sent His Son into the world to save us. Jesus revealed God love through action, tenderness, compassion, fellowship, and giving His life for us as He was crucified on the Cross.
We need a positive attitude that will enable us to reach out and share with those what Christ did for us. Jesus’ love should emanate from us out to others. People should know that we are caring, compassionate, understanding because we have repented of our sins and we have accepted Jesus as our own personal Lord and Savior.
Listen to these words:
His birth was contrary to the laws of life.
His death was contrary to the laws of death.
He had no cornfields or fisheries but He could spread a table for five thousand and have bread and fish to spare.
He walked on no beautiful carpets or velvet rugs, but He walked on the waters of the Sea of Galilee and they supported Him.
Three years He preached His Gospel.
He wrote no book, built no church house, had no monetary backing, After 2000 years, He is the one central character of human history, the Pivot around which the events of the ages revolve, and the only Regenerator of the human race.
Was it merely the Son of Joseph and Mary, who crossed the world’s horizon 2000 years ago? Was it merely human blood that was spilled at Calvary’s hill for the redemption of sinners?
What thinking man can keep from exclaiming: “My Lord and My God!”
---Watchman-Examiner
There has been no other person like Jesus. He is our Savior who grants us everlasting life with Him in His kingdom.
Amen.
