The reason we do not want to be around such people is because they are miserable and they make everyone around them miserable.
Illus: A guy named Matt received a parrot for his birthday. The parrot was fully-grown, with a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every other word was an expletive. Those that weren’t expletives were, to say the least, rude. Matt tried hard to change the bird's attitude and was constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, anything he could think of to try and set a good example. Nothing worked. He yelled at the bird and the bird yelled back. He shook the bird and the bird just got angrier and ruder.
One day this parrot got really worked up, so Matt thought he would cool him off by putting him in the freezer for five minutes. For a few moments he heard the bird squawk and kick and scream. Then suddenly there was quiet. Not a sound for half a minute. Matt was frightened that he might have hurt the bird and quickly opened the freezer door.
The parrot calmly stepped out onto Matt's extended arm and said, "I believe that I might have offended you with my rude language and actions. I will endeavor to correct my behavior. I really am truly sorry and beg your forgiveness."
Matt was astonished at the bird's change in attitude and was about to ask what had made such a dramatic change, when the parrot continued, "May I ask what the chicken did?"
We see a lot of people that need an attitude adjustment.
Illus: A man with a bad attitude went into a restaurant and said with anger in his voice,
• “Do you serve crabs here?”
• The waiter said, “Why, yes sir, we serve anybody here.”
Illus: There is an old saying:
• Smile and the whole world will smile with you
• Frown and the whole world will frown with you
This falls under the law of, SOWING and REAPING.
Many think that because some bad things have happened to them it gives them the right to have a BAD ATTITUDE! Just because something bad has happen to us, does not mean we have to have a BAD ATTITUDE!
Illus: A chaplain was speaking to a soldier in a hospital.
• He said, “I see you lost an arm in the great cause!”
•“No,” said the soldier with a smile. “I didn’t lose it--I gave it.”
Webster defines “attitude” as: a manner of acting, feeling or thinking that shows one’s disposition and mood.
John Maxwell says, “Your attitude determines your altitude.”
Illus: A pilot has an instrument on the dash of his airplane that is called an attitude indicator.
• This instrument shows the position of a plane with regards to the horizon.
• It lets the pilot know when the nose of the plane is above or below the horizon.
Listen, the attitude of an individual determines his or hers performance in life.
• Bad attitudes have destroyed careers
• Bad attitudes have destroyed marriages
• Bad attitudes have destroyed the lives of children
• Bad attitudes have destroyed churches
From these popular songs titles, which one best describes your “attitude” today?
• “Make The World Go Away”
• “Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head”
• “I Did It My Way”
• “Alive And Kicking”
• “Another One Bites The dust”
• “Please Catch Me…I’m Falling”
•“Oh, What a Beautiful Morning”
Let’s look at the GOOD and BAD attitudes that people have.
We need to look at-
I. THE CAUSE OF BAD ATTITUDES
Our ATTITUDES are determined by a variety of things.
A. OUR PARENTS
I don’t think I have to convince you that from birth, we are already messed up! Before we take that first breath we are damaged goods!
Illus: A father was trying to teach his son about a positive attitude when it came to his son’s math grade.
• The son said, “Dad, I think I’m going to flunk my math class.”
• Dad quickly responded, “Son, that’s very negative. Be more positive.”
• So then his son said, “Dad, I’m sure I’m going to flunk my math class.”
It is a fact of life, our GOOD and BAD attitudes come from our PARENTS. Some have taught their child POSITIVE THINGS and these children have grown up with a GOOD ATTITUDE, and now God can use them for His glory!
When a child is placed in our care at birth, we have a tremendous influence in the way their attitude will be developed.
Illus: For example:
• A father has a BAD ATTITUDE about policemen. He has instilled in his son that all policemen are crooks. Now he has a grown son, and guess what? His son thinks all policemen are crooks.
• Another father has a BAD ATTITUDE about God. He believes in God, but it is obvious from his attitude in life that God is not as important as hunting and fishing. He also has a grown son, and guess what? His son thinks that hunting and fishing are more important than attending church.
Our children develop a large portion of their attitude about LIFE based on our attitudes. This is why Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
B. FROM SCHOOL
How many times have we heard parents say, “My child never gave us any problem until they went to school, and we have had nothing but trouble since then!”
WHAT HAPPENED? I can tell you exactly what happened. That child became exposed to some BAD ATTITUDES from other students and those BAD ATTITUDES have rubbed off on them the way mud rubs off on us when we are around a bunch of pigs!
Children copy what other children wear and how they talk, and when they get around children with a bad attitude, you can count on that bad attitude rubbing off on them also.
C. FROM OUR SOCIETY
We live in a world filled with BAD ATTITUDES! We see it everyday:
• Road Rage! (This is my road…what are you doing driving on it!…Get out of the way!)
• The movies we watch! (watching these “slop operas” where everybody is mad at someone!)
• The television programs we watch! (Children watch other children on television yelling at their parents)
• Yes, sometimes even in the church we attend! (Some people in our churches sit in their pew and act like saints - but they ain’t!)
While we have the attitude that everybody needs an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, honesty compels us to admit there are times WE need a ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT!
• From time to time, the best cars have to be taken in for a “Tune-up!”
• From time to time, the best Christians have to have an “Attitude Adjustment!”
This is why we have altars, so SINNERS can GET ON THEIR KNEES AND REPENT OF THEIR SINS and for THE ROTTEN ATTITUDES THAT SOME HAVE.
We have looked at THE CAUSE OF BAD ATTITUDES, now let’s look at-
II. THE CURE FOR BAD ATTITUDES
There are three things that will help us have a GOOD ATTITUDE. We must -
A. BE PROACTIVE
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PROACTIVE? Being proactive means acting before you are acted upon. As Christians, we are on the OFFENSE, not the DEFENSE!
Many let life HAPPEN to them, and then sit around having a PITY PARTY with a BAD ATTITUDE, feeling sorry for themselves! To keep the BAD THINGS FROM HAPPENING, we must be PROACTIVE AND DO THE GOOD THINGS!
James 4:17 "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good. . . ."
Illus: Have you ever worked with someone and you had to tell them everything to do? I mean EVERYTHING! Isn’t that nerve racking?
There are some Christians that stand around while a lost world is dying going to Hell, and they act as if there is nothing to do. God’s Word teaches us to be PROACTIVE. If you know something that you can do…FOR HEAVENS SAKE DO IT!
The Bible is filled with PROACTIVE LANGUAGE.
Look at Matt. 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
You do not need anyone to tell you to do this! When you go to work tomorrow, be on the offense and let YOUR LIGHT FOR THE LORD SHINE!
• You do not have to go to work with a BAD ATTITUDE
• You do not have to come to church with a BAD ATTITUDE
• You do not have to have a BAD ATTITUDE in your marriage
• You do not have to have a BAD ATTITUDE in school
You can be PROACTIVE and let your light for the Lord shine. Quit living a life of MISERY. Stop trying to make everyone around you MISERABLE!
Any psychologist that is worth his salt, will tell you that one of the best things that a person can do to come out of a deep depression (which is no more than a BAD ATTITUDE) is to do something POSITIVE BY HELPING SOMEONE ELSE.
Illus: Here’s a formula that I believe helps us master our attitude…
• If you want to be distressed –look within
• If you want to be defeated – look back
• If you want to be distracted – look around
• If you want to dismayed – look ahead
• If you want to be delivered – look up
We can make life enjoyable by simply ADJUSTING OUR ATTITUDE.
Illus: Harry Emerson Fosdick said that as a child, his mother sent him to pick a quart of raspberries. Reluctantly he dragged himself to the berry patch. His afternoon was ruined for sure. Then a thought hit him. He would surprise his mother and pick two quarts of raspberries instead of one. Rather than drudgery, his work now became a challenge. He enjoyed picking those raspberries so much, that fifty years later that incident was still fresh in his mind.
The job didn’t changed. His attitude had, though, and attitude is everything.
Illus: A sickly widow had two sons on whom she relied for financial support. One son sold umbrellas. The first thing the mother did every morning was to look out to see if the sun was shining or if it looked like it was going to rain. If it was cloudy, her spirits were good because there was a chance that it might rain and her son would sell some umbrellas. But if the sun was shining, she was miserable all day because no umbrellas would be sold.
The widow’s other son sold fans. Every morning that it looked like rain, she would get depressed because without the sun’s heat, no one was likely to buy fans.
No matter what the weather was, the widow had something to fret about.
A friend gave her some very good advice one day, “Perk up. You’ve got it made. If the sun is shining, people will buy fans; if it rains, they’ll buy umbrellas. All you have to do is change your attitude. You can’t lose.”
B. BE CONFIDENT
Heb. 13:6 says, "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
Notice, our confidence is in the Lord to help us!
Did you know you can SHATTER someone’s confidence? Some people are afraid to do almost anything because they have been told they are NO GOOD! Did you know that is what the devil wants to do to us? He wants to SHATTER OUR FAITH.
• He will tell you God might love you, but not as much as He loves someone else
• He will tell you God can not use you, so you might as well get used to sitting on a church pew and doing absolutely nothing with your life.
He will tell you all kinds of things because he wants to completely SHATTER YOUR FAITH!
Listen, the next time Satan starts to tell you all these negative things and reminds you of your past mistakes, remind him of his FUTURE!
We can live the Christian life with CONFIDENCE, knowing God loves us and will help us.
• Psa. 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
• Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengtheneth me!"
To have a GOOD ATTITUDE we must BE PROACTIVE, BE CONFIDENT and -
C. BE HUMBLE
We are to be confident, but HUMILITY prevents us from being overconfident.
Look at Luke 9:48 ". . .for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great."
Did you realize that many have a bad attitude towards God? Day after day:
• They fuss with God
• They get mad and pout with God
• They go days without talking with God
They are convinced they can change God with their attitude.
But not so! You can spend your entire life doing these things, but God says, “For I am the Lord God and I change not!” He is not going to change for you or anyone else!
Many have lived for years with a BAD ATTITUDE and SELF-PITY. God’s advice to you is in three words – “GET OVER IT!” He is not going to chance, HE EXPECTS YOU TO CHANGE!
Conclusion:
Paul said to think on these things in Philippians 4:8.
Illus: Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over our nation’s deserts. All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet.
But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants.
The vultures live on what was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone.
Hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness and life.
Each bird finds what it is looking for. We all do.
I. THE CAUSE OF BAD ATTITUDES
II. THE CURE FOR BAD ATTITUDES
