“Have this attitude in yourself that was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5)

In his book, The Winning Attitude”, John C. Maxwell describes going for a ride in a small aircraft piloted by a friend of his. From where he sat, he could see all the dials on the instrument panel and watch how his friend flew the plane. He noticed that the pilot consistently focused on a dial in the center of the panel. John asked what it was for. “It’s the attitude indicator,” he said. And he went on to explain what it did and why it is important. He explained that when the plane's nose was pointing above the horizon, it was in a "nose up" attitude, meaning it was climbing. When the plane's nose points below the horizon, it is descending and in a "nose down" attitude. He then said, “Pilots are concerned about the attitude of the airplane because that determines its performance.” He then said there is an instructor's manual on “Attitude Flying” the relationship between the aircraft’s attitude and its performance.

We too have an attitude indicator

It’s found in Philippians 2:3-8. Christ is our perfect example to follow.

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Therefore

The next few verses tell how God elevated Jesus because of his selfless attitude described above.

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:9-11 NLT)

Quote

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” - Lou Holtz, Notre Dame Football Coach

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23 ESV) 

Many years ago, during the "Jesus Movement," Christian coffeehouses began popping up across the country, run by converted hippies, gang members, and others. As a youth worker at the time, I became friends with several of these individuals. One of them was a large, loud, and charismatic former Hells Angel type of biker. He drew big crowds of young people and had a powerful ministry among them. However, over time, something went wrong. He lost sight of his original calling which was to love and proclaim Christ. His passion for ministry faded, and he began reverting to his old habits—reacting angrily, and using profanity. Before long, his once-thriving coffeehouse shut down. The last time I saw him, it was as though he had never been a Christian. He was angry, critical, and vindictive. What happened? The short answer is that he stopped putting Christ first in his life and ministry. He began to focus instead on other things. He started to waver in his faith, he lost hope, he became lukewarm, then cold, and finally he walked away; Jesus warns us to guard against this. He says, "I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place." (Revelation 2:4-5)

What to do

It was sad to see what had happened to this once-excited coffeehouse leader. I’ve watched the same thing happen to others over the years. They start off strong but eventually waver, lose hope, and fail. There are many ways you can grow cold in your relationship with Christ. You can stop praying, stop reading the Bible, stop fellowshipping with others, and stop attending church, just to name a few. The coffeehouse leader failed in part because he allowed other things to distract him from his primary mission. However, the passage at the top of the page offers another explanation: you must unwaveringly confess your hope because God is faithful. Why is that important? There’s another passage that says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prov. 13:12). Another way of saying this is, If you put hope aside, your heart will become sick. Therefore, don’t waver in hope because it is critical to your relationship with God! Let’s look at some other Bible passages about hope to find out why it’s so.

• Our hope is in the living God

“That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” (Tim 4:10 NIV)

• Hope will come through the encouragement of Scriptures

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4 ESV) 

• We’re born again to a living hope

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

“So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7 ESV) 

• God gives a future and a hope

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

Therefore

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Rom. 12:12 ESV)

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lam. 3:24 ESV)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 15:13 ESV)

Quote:

“The hope that God has provided for you is not merely a wish. Neither is it dependent on other people, possessions, or circumstances for its validity. Instead, biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God's fulfillment of His promises. Coupled with faith and love, hope is part of the abiding characteristics in a believer's life.” - John C. Broger

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding…” (Prov. 2:6 ESV)

Woulda, coulda, shoulda

I asked a man in his 90s to tell me what the greatest thing he had learned over his long life was. He simply said, “Too soon, old, and too late, smart!” He followed with, “I wish I had known back then what I know now; I would have done a lot of things differently!” He looked sad. As the saying goes, “hindsight is 20/20,” and you cannot change the past. It’s far better to make wise decisions from the start. The Bible has a lot to say about doing just that.

The treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in God

“In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:3 ESV)

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Rom. 11:33 ESV)

Ask God for it 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)

Therefore

“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jer. 8:23-24 ESV) 

Quote:

 “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” - Charles Spurgeon

“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:2)

When I was a young kid, I heard someone ask my older brother, David, if he ever worried about things. He said, “No. I don’t have to because Mike worries enough for both of us!”

He was right!

I was a big worrier! I would lay awake at night worrying about anything and everything! Maybe it was because I was in the foster care system and tossed around from pillar to post. I had so much uncertainty in those days and probably contributed to my tendency to worry. As I grew up, I continued my worrying habit and had trouble sleeping because of it. I would often lie awake at night worrying about things.

Eventually

I realized it did absolutely no good to stay awake worrying. It wouldn't change anything. All it did was make me tired and grumpy the following day and affected my ability to concentrate and work.

I found the answer in God’s promises.

No need to worry and lose sleep because…

·     God will take care of all my needs. (Phil. 4:19)

·      I can boldly talk to God about anything and everything at any hour of the day or night. (Heb. 4:16)

·      God will generously give me wisdom about things. (James 1:5)

·     I can give Him all my worries and cares! (Psalm 55:22)

·      God will work all things out for my good. (Rom. 8:28)

·      God will give me direction when I need guidance. (Prov. 3:5-6)

·      God is my rock and fortress. (Psalm 31:3)

·     God’s angels encamped around me. Psalm 34:7

·      God will give me sleep. (Psalm 127:2)

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

Therefore

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30 ESV)

 “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.” (Isa. 66:2 NLT)

There is an old country song by Mac Davis with the lyric, “Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble When you're perfect in every way.”

Although the song was obviously meant to be humorous, it does reflect the modern “me first” culture promoted everywhere across the USA in one form or another to our young people as self-esteem programs. Nowhere can you find anyone talking about the importance of humility. In fact, if you ask young people what it means to be humble and why it even matters, they usually just give a blank stare and don’t have an answer.

Here are definitions

Humble: Not proud or haughty, not arrogant or assertive.

Humility: The state of being humble. Both humility and humble have their origin in the Latin word humilis, meaning “low.” Humility is to be meek, modest, unassuming, unpretentious.

Why humility is important

• God gives grace to the humble

“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 ESV)

• God restores and revives the humble of spirit

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble of spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isa. 57:15)

Therefore

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…” (Col. 3:12 ESV)

“The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” (Prov. 15:33 ESV)

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11 ESV)

“A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” (Prov. 29:23)

“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” (Prov. 22:4 ESV)

Quote

“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. - Saint Augustine

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

There are broken hearted people everywhere. Some have lost parents, spouses, children, and or, close friends; it’s an inevitable part of the human condition. Jesus said He came to “bind up the broken hearted.”

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release from darkness to the prisoners…” (Isa. 61:1)

The Lord is close to the broken hearted 

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18 NIV) 

God will not despise a broken and a contrite heart

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)

Quote:

“You don't have to be alone in your hurt! Comfort is yours. Joy is an option. And it's all been made possible by your Savior. He went without comfort so you might have it. He postponed joy so you might share in it. He willingly chose isolation so you might never be alone in your hurt and sorrow.” - Joni Eareckson Tada

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13)

One of the ways the devil attacks us is through regret

Everyone makes mistakes, and the devil will bring them up to accuse them and discourage them. It is easy to go back and relive memories about what we aren’t proud of. Regret can be devastating if not kept in check. If you do have regrets, give them to God in prayer. Ask Him to help you as you move through your regrets, and if you have not repented from something, do so now. If you don’t get things taken care of, the devil will have a foothold. “…and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Eph. 4:27 NIV)

Watch and recognize where the attack is coming from

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Remember that God completely forgives when you ask Him to 

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Therefore…

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” (Psalms 34:4-5)

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Cor. 7:10)

Quote

“Never be a prisoner of your past. It was just a lesson, not a life sentence .” – Anonymous

“The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Gen. 3:12-13 ESV)

Casting blame is nothing new

You can read about blame casting in Genesis 3:12-13. When confronted by their sin, Eve blamed the serpent, and Adam blamed both Eve and God, “The woman you gave to be with me…gave me fruit…” Since then, nothing has changed. There is still a lot of blame-casting these days! You see it everywhere, especially in the news; everybody is blaming everybody else about this and that, and no one is willing to take responsibility for their actions. Using politics as just one example: the left blames the right, and the right blames the left for everything! I saw a quote (it didn’t say who had written it), and I thought it was insightful. It said, “Never blame anyone in your life. Good people give you happiness. Bad people give you experience. Worst people give you a lesson, and best people give you memories.” There is a lot of wisdom here. In other words, look for the good instead of blaming.

Be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving of one another

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Eph. 4:31)

Therefore

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matt. 7:3-5 ESV)

Quote:

 “You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes.” – John Wooden

“But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.” (Psalm 52:8)

Pessimistic vs optimistic

When problems come along, people view them from opposite perspectives. Sir Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” The beautiful thing about being children of God is that we can expect God to work out every situation that comes along. That means we should always be optimistic, because God is good and faithful. So choose to be optimistic!

God is a stronghold in the day of trouble

“The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)

Make God your confidence

“For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.” (Psalm 71:5)

Trust in God’s Word and don’t be afraid

“In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid What can mere man do to me?” (Psalm 56:4)

Watch and wait expectantly

“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation My God will hear me.” 

Therefore…

“I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” (Psalm 91:2)

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.” (Psalms 27:1-3)

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13)

Quote: 

“If I regarded my life from the point of view of the pessimist, I should be undone. I should seek in vain for the light that does not visit my eyes and the music that does not ring in my ears. I should beg night and day and never be satisfied. I should sit apart in awful solitude, a prey to fear and despair. But since I consider it a duty to myself and to others to be happy, I escape a misery worse than any physical deprivation." -  Helen Keller