Managing Success – Attitude

I checked the English dictionary for the word “attitude” and the Oxford dictionary describes it as “a settled way of thinking”. Of course, a way of thinking is always a matter of choice; one has to choose to settle in it. I honestly do not know if success by itself really impacts on our attitude or it just exposes what is already there, as I am inclined to believe. I believe very much that people with bad attitude are often exposed when success happens because success gives an unreal kind of confidence that makes one feel like they can do whatever they feel like doing and get away with it. It is often a previously settled way of thinking regarding life that is exposed when one begins to walk in this promised life; but an attitude which we can allow the Word of God alter. What is interesting is that we are sometimes a little hasty so we perceive ourselves as successful just a little before the success and then expose our ugly mindset a little too early. This has cost some dearly. One of the principal things God desires for us is that we allow His word alter our thoughts, attitudes and/or perception of life so that our settled way thoughts or attitude on anything would be based on His Word but we struggle with that.

 

Romans 12: 2a “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

The problem with having the wrong attitude of mind is that it can truncate one’s success story. Naturally, life throws things at us that may attempt to bring us down but at the end of the day, they fail except we allow them. There are times in the life of the believer when it seems like the devil has succeeded in bringing them down but it not so: it is instead an experience allowed by God to further lift the believer. Therein lies the unexplainable wisdom of The God whose thoughts are far from ours. Whilst it is true that the devil works assiduously to destroy the believer, what is even more true is that he fails as often as he does; but the one enemy who can bring the believer down easily is the enemy within and bad attitude is one such enemy hence God in His wisdom counsels that we see through His eyes which is through His word, that we may succeed and remain successful notwithstanding what we may be going through. Success does not mean we won’t “go through” challenges but we will always “come through” and God will be in it all with us.

Psalm 23: 4 “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.”

Isaiah 55: 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says The Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”

Saul, unlike David, saw office and power as something to be grabbed or hold on to. David understood that it was given to him freely by The One who had the authority to give it to any who He chose to give it to and so He sort to please The Owner instead of grabbing power. Anytime we forget that we are not self-made, we get carried away and our attitude becomes very offensive. If we must be successful consistently and in increasing measures, then we must watch our attitude and ensure that it aligns we the thoughts of Him from whom all success comes. Nothing is worth holding unto except our faith in God through Jesus Christ his son. Our “attitude” or perception toward anything in life is always a reflection of our relationship with God. It doesn’t matter how spiritual or godly we may think we are, our true state is always displayed in our attitude. Our interpretation of any situation or circumstance is always impacted by our belief system. If for example one thinks of themselves as “more equal than others” then there is certainly a problem with their relationship with God. Isaac was so well taught that even after his father died and the Philistines kept striving with him over wells he dug, he just left them and dug another. His attitude toward “things” was right and God blessed him. We must fill our minds with the right things that we may think the right thoughts. This also has to do with the people we “hang out with.” We have to be deliberate about choosing the right company. Jesus Christ had the right attitude of mind even before He came down to earth and remains successful even today.

Philippians 2: 6 “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.”