How do we determine, Success and Failure?

Attitude, Faith, Obedience

Attitude,

a : a mental position with regard to a fact or state 〈a helpful attitude〉

b : a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state

an organismic state of readiness to respond in a characteristic way to a stimulus (as an object, concept, or situation)

a : a negative or hostile state of mind

b : a cool, cocky, defiant, or arrogant manner

1

synonyms posture 1, pose, stance

related words air, demeanor, presence

2

synonyms position 1, stance, stand

related words point of view; bias, prejudice

[1]

Where does Attitude begin?

Don’t Call Her “Birdlegs”

Dr. James Dobson, a child development specialist, says that children are sometimes permanently harmed by people’s attitudes towards their looks. Even at age 3 or 4, children can tell if they are beautiful or ugly. One of his patients was a 36-year-old man who told him: “I was 5 years old when I realized I was ugly, and I’ve never been the same since.”

Unhappily, most people treat children as if they were beauty contest contestants, giving warmth and praise to the good-looking and ridiculing or neglecting the fat, skinny, or whatever child. The result for the latter is lifelong self-doubt and feelings of worthlessness. Nicknames like “Bucky Beaver”, “Pee Wee” or “Birdlegs” can cause harm for life. Instead of exalting beauty, brains or accomplishment, the specialist urges adults to teach children to emphasize virtues such as diligence, patience and honesty.

“It’s tough to buck the values of society as it is now,” Dr. Dodson admitted, “but teaching a child spiritual values is at least a good place to start.”

[2]

Attitude is our disposition, good or bad. We can easily determine our state of mind by our attitude. Others can also determine our state of mind by our attitude.

Matthew 5:8 they are blessed whose thoughts are pure, for they will see God.

Pure thoughts are the catalyst for a successful attitude.

We must take charge of our mind. We must change our way of thinking.

Philippians 4:8 Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 Do what you learned and received from me, what I told you, and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.[3]

How is your thinking? Does your thinking help you achieve?

Which type of thinking is yours?

· Small Thinking or Big-Picture Thinking?

· Scattered Thinking or Focused Thinking?

· Selfish Thinking or Unselfish Thinking?

· Limited Thinking or Possibility Thinking?

Thinking more then any thing else shapes our attitude.

We must choose our destiny. We must focus on something that is positive, productive and effective; we must purpose to keep our walk directed. If we have no focus we will most likely head down a path of destruction, a path of least resistance.

Psalms 37:23 the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

The triumph of the good man’s life is steady walking, never running, and never dragging, in the way of righteousness.[4]

Isaiah 26:7 The path of life is level for those who are right with God;

Lord, you make the way of life smooth for those people.[5]

God has given us the means to acquire and maintain such an attitude of evenness.

By His Grace he makes our paths even, He removes the stumbling-blocks that cause us to fall.

The definition of Grace is “Gods Favor or Kindness not dependant on the merit of the receiver, not based on what they have done.

To walk in God’s Grace we need faith.

Hebrews 11:1 Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it[6]

God requires us to have faith and believe.

1 John 3:23 This is what God commands: that we believe in his Son, Jesus Christ, and that we love each other, just as he commanded. 24 The people who obey God’s commands live in God, and God lives in them. We know that God lives in us because of the Spirit God gave us.

[7]

When we are obedient, FAITH produces;

PEACE;

Romans 15:13 I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.[8]

JOY. Ac 16:34; 1Pe 1:8.

Acts 16:34 After this the jailer took Paul and Silas home and gave them food. He and his family were very happy because they now believed in God.[9]

1 Peter 1:8 You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. So you are filled with a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory. 9 And you are receiving the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.[10]

CONFIDENCE. Isa 28:16; 1Pe 2:6.

16 Because of these things, this is what the Lord God says:

“I will put a stone in the ground in Jerusalem,

a tested stone.

Everything will be built on this important and precious rock.

Anyone who trusts in it will never be disappointed.

[11]

Our final step to success, Obedience!

COMMANDED, De 13:4.

4 Serve only the Lord your God. Respect him, keep his commands, and obey him. Serve him and be loyal to him.[12]

Without faith, is impossible. Heb 11:6.

Hebrew 11:6 Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to find him.[13]

Faith in the gospel, and in Jesus Christ, is obedience (Acts 6:7; Rom. 6:17; Heb. 5:9; 1 Pet. 1:22), for God commands it (cf. Jn. 6:29; 1 Jn. 3:23). Unbelief is disobedience (Rom. 10:16; 2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Pet. 2:8; 3:1; 4:17). A life of obedience to God is the fruit of faith (cf. what is said of Abraham, Gn. 22:18; Heb. 11:8, 17ff.; Jas. 2:21ff.).

Christian obedience means imitating God in holiness (1 Pet. 1:15f.) and Christ in humility and love (Jn. 13:14f., 34f.; Phil. 2:5ff.; Eph. 4:32-5:2). It springs from gratitude for grace received (Rom. 12:1f.), not from the desire to gain merit and to justify oneself in God’s sight. Indeed, law-keeping from the latter motive is not obedience to God, but its opposite (Rom. 9:31-10:3).

Obedience to divinely-established authority in the family (Eph. 5:22; 6:1ff.; cf. 2 Tim. 3:2), in the church (Phil. 2:12; Heb., and in the state (Mt. 22:21; Rom. 13:1ff.; 1 Pet. 2:13ff.; Tit. 3:1), is part of the Christian’s obedience to God. When claims clash, however, he must be ready to disobey men in order not to disobey God (cf. Acts 5:29).

[14]

However, in spite of the strong stress on obedience in the Bible, such obedience is never made the grounds for justification before God. Paul declares that salvation is a gift of God that will produce good works (Eph 2:8–10). So, too, James speaks of works of obedience as flowing from faith (Jas 2:14–26).[15]

Billionaire entrepreneur Richard M. Devos says, “The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible.”

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[1]Merriam-Webster, Inc: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus. Springfield, Mass. : Merriam-Webster, 1996, c1988

[2]Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers. Garland TX : Bible Communications, 1996, c1979

[3] The Everyday Bible : New Century Version. Nashville, TN. : Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005, S. Php 4:8-9

[4] Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Hrsg.): The Pulpit Commentary: Isaiah Vol. I. Bellingham, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004, S. 429

[5] The Everyday Bible : New Century Version. Nashville, TN. : Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005, S. Is 26:7

[6] The Everyday Bible : New Century Version. Nashville, TN. : Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005, S. Heb 11:1

[7] The Everyday Bible : New Century Version. Nashville, TN. : Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005, S. 1 Jn 3:23-24

[8] The Everyday Bible : New Century Version. Nashville, TN. : Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005, S. Ro 15:13

[9] The Everyday Bible : New Century Version. Nashville, TN. : Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005, S. Ac 16:34

[10] The Everyday Bible : New Century Version. Nashville, TN. : Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005, S. 1 Pe 1:7-9

[11] The Everyday Bible : New Century Version. Nashville, TN. : Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005, S. Is 28:16

[12] The Everyday Bible : New Century Version. Nashville, TN. : Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005, S. Dt 13:4

[13] The Everyday Bible : New Century Version. Nashville, TN. : Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005, S. Heb 11:6

cf confer (Lat.), compare

ff and the following (verses, etc.)

f and the following (verse, etc.)

Heb Hebrew

[14]Wood, D. R. W.: New Bible Dictionary. InterVarsity Press, 1996, c1982, c1962, S. 842

[15]Elwell, Walter A. ; Comfort, Philip Wesley: Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2001 (Tyndale Reference Library), S. 969