THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR ATTITUDE

(# 2 - Series: the Victorious Attitude)

Introduction

Identical Twin Boys  – impossible to tell apart, except for one feature.  One boy was always negative –  other was always positive.  Regardless of the circumstances, this trait always held true.  One boy would always be down and depressed, but his twin was always up. 

Teachers and counsellors -puzzled by this glaring dissimilarity.

  - boys were taken through a series of psychological tests.

 In one test the two boys were put into separate identical rooms full of the newest and best toys on the market, where they could play alone.  After a period of time the researchers re-entered the room to see how the boys were getting along.  Their discoveries were predictable.

The usually negative boy was having a horrible time.  They found him sitting in the corner moaning about toys that weren't there and crying over toys he couldn't get to work right.  Meanwhile, the second boy was having the time of his life in the other room.  They found him trying to play with as many toys as possible - simultaneously.

The doctors were baffled and decided to try something a bit out of the ordinary.  They took the generally happy boy and placed him in a room devoid of everything but a large pile of manure heaped up in the center of the floor.  After telling him to wait for them there, the researchers left the room.  Within a matter of moments everyone heard the boy whooping and hollering at the top of his lungs.  Afraid something might be wrong, they all rushed back to see what was the matter.

What did they find?  The boy was on top of the manure pile scooping up handfuls and throwing it everywhere.  In spite of the odour, he was in boyish ecstasy having the time of his life.  The doctors probed the boy with obvious questions.  "Son, what on earth are you so excited about?"  The boy answered, "With all this manure, there has to be a pony in here somewhere."

I. Your Attitude Determines Your Approach to Life

Illustrate:

 * 2 Buckets - Optimist and Pessimist

 Pessimist - "There's never been a life as disappointing as mine," said the empty Pessimistic Bucket as he approached the well.   "I NEVER COME AWAY FROM THE WELL FULL BUT WHAT I HAVE TO COME AGAIN EMPTY."

 Optimist - "There's never been such a happy life as mine," said the full Optimistic bucket as he left the well.

"I NEVER COME TO THE WELL EMPTY BUT WHAT I GO AWAY AGAIN FULL."

** LOOK AT THE WAY PAUL APPROACHED LIFE

 Phil. 3:13-14 - Healthy attitude

 Phil. 4:4, 11-13 - We cannot control what happens to us, but we can adjust our attitude.

* YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES HOW YOU WILL APPROACH LIFE.

  1. Your Attitude Tells What You Expect From Life

* Ever notice how, to some people, life just looks rotten all the time, they can find the fly in the ointment every time.  And other people see the good in every possible situation.

Illustrate:

Grandma and Grandpa were visiting the grandchildren.  Grandpa was taking a nap.  As a practical joke, kids put Limburger cheese in his moustache.

 - Grandpa woke up sniffing. "THIS ROOM STINKS."

 - Went out to kitchen, "IT STINKS IN HERE."

 - Went outside to get fresh air,

"THE WHOLE WORLD STINKS."

* WHEN YOU HAVE A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE - you expect things to go wrong - you expect the worst from people -- and generally that's what you find.

* WHEN YOU HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE - you are looking for the best - you expect to enjoy life, and generally that's what you find.

 2. Your Attitude Affects the Way You Look at Life

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things (Matt. 12:35)

 * EVERYTHING YOU SEE AND DO IN LIFE IS COLOURED BY YOUR ATTITUDE, BECAUSE WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE INSIDE WILL SHOW UP ON THE OUTSIDE.

Illustrate:

 In days of horse and buggy, the Jones' were moving from town A to town B.  Along the way, they met another wagon coming from town B.  That family was moving from town B to town A.  The Jones' asked them what the people were like in town A.  "Oh" said the couple, "They are unfriendly, hard to get along with and miserable.  What are people like in Town A?"   Mr. Jones, being a wise man, said, "Oh you'll find people in town A just like you found the people in town B."

 - Later they came upon another couple travelling to town A.  "What are the people in Town A like?" they asked the Jones'. "Well, I don't rightly know what to say," Mr. Jones answered.  "How did you find the people in Town B?"

  "Oh," said the lady.  "They were the sweetest, kindest, warmest people you could ever meet.  We hated to leave."  "Well," said Mr. Jones, "That's just how you'll find people in Town A."

* YOUR ATTITUDE AFFECTS THE WAY YOU LOOK AT LIFE.

 3. You are Responsible for Your Attitude Toward Life

  Gal. 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

 * If you sow a negative wind, you'll receive a darker more negative whirlwind.

 * If unhappy, you cannot be blaming others.  You are responsible for yourself.  That is one value that I try to drill into my children.  I hope they learn it well because it will mean the difference between a Victorious or Defeated life.

 Phil. 4:11-12 .. I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.

PAUL'S SECRET FOR A SUCCESSFUL, VICTORIOUS LIFE WAS THAT HE LEARNED TO ADJUST HIS ATTITUDE TO THE SITUATION HE WAS IN.

 4.  Your Attitude Towards Life Determines the Life You Have

Illustrate:

 Thomas Edison was having difficulty financing his experiments. The only thing that was keeping him going was the profit from his record factory.  One night the record factory burned down.   Edison called to his son, "Son, go get your mother, we'll never get to see a fire like this again."

II. Your Attitude Determines Your Relationships with People

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them for this is the Law and the prophets. (Matt. 7:12)

 1. Victorious Living Involves Healthy Relationships with People.

* God has created us as social beings.  We need people.

** ONLY 2 THINGS IN THIS WORLD THAT HAVE ETERNAL VALUE  -- Word of God -- People

* TO LIVE VICTORIOUSLY,  WE MUST HAVE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

     * PEOPLE CAN BE FRUSTRATING AND HARD TO GET ALONG. DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS.

  - Can't get along with them and can't get along without them.

* Stafford Research Institute says,

"Making money is 12.5% knowledge and 87.5%  your ability to get along with people."

* Teddy Roosevelt: "The most important single ingredient to the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people."

** LET'S FACE IT, FOLKS, MORE THAN ANY OTHER AREA OF YOUR LIFE, YOUR ATTITUDE IMPACTS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

 2. Your Attitude Will Dictate the Relationship You Have with People

* The more positive your attitude, the more positive, productive and satisfying your relationships with other people.  Let's face it,  people don't want to be around  someone who needs an attitude adjustment.

Illustrate: Have a friend I dearly love,  but I can only be around him so much because all the time I'm with him it's negative, negative, negative.

 3. God Commands Us to Have an "Others First" Attitude

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  (Phil. 2:3-4)

 4. People with a Positive Attitude Toward Other People Will Be Victorious in Life

* People respond to you according to your attitude towards them.

Illustrate: WHY CUSTOMERS QUIT

 1% die,  3% move away  5% other friends

 9% competition  14% product dissatisfaction  BUT  68% QUIT BECAUSE OF AN ATTITUDE OF INDIFFERENCE TOWARD THEM BY SOME EMPLOYEE.

Illustrate TELEMETRICS INTERNATIONAL  recently did a survey of 16,000 top executives to find out what made them successful.  -- Found:  Those with healthy, positive attitude towards business, subordinates, customers etc rose to the top.

*** I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANYONE WITH A HEALTHY POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS LIFE AND PEOPLE LIKE OUR SAVIOUR.

  - He loved people - had a positive attitude toward people and always looked for and brought out the best in people.  AND HE HAS SENT US INTO THE WORLD TO DO THE SAME.