How do I have a good attitude?
Here's the answer:
Ask God to help you choose the kind of attitude Jesus would have.
We all have issues with our emotions for many different reasons, and sometimes we do or say things that we wouldn't normally do or say. The sin inside of us gets out of control. In Romans 7:15-16a, the apostle Paul talks about this struggle: "I don’t understand what I do. I don’t do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate to do. I do what I don’t want to do." Sound familiar? What should we be doing instead?
When Paul was in prison, he wrote about the kind of attitude that believers should have: "No matter what happens, live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ" (Philippians 1:27a). What he's saying is that it doesn't matter what frustrations or problems come our way; our job is to always respond to these things in the way that Jesus would.
So what did Jesus act like? Reading the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in the Bible tells us what Jesus was like while He was on earth. He had to deal with all kinds of frustrations and problems. Through all of that, He still had a perfect attitude in every situation. We are human and can't be perfect, but we can learn from the example of Jesus' life. What kinds of things did He do in order to have these perfect attitudes?
Most importantly, Jesus prayed. He prayed about everything and worried about nothing. We learn that we can always ask God for help with all of our frustrations and problems (Philippians 4:6). We should listen for His direction and look for chances to do what God asks of us (John 10:27).
In the middle of hard times, Jesus was patient. During His suffering, He still had hope. Whenever things were going great, He stayed humble and always pointed back to God. Even when He was teased and beat up, He did not fight back or hurt those who were hurting Him. Instead, He trusted that God would be the ultimate judge to those who mistreated Him (1 Peter 2:23).
Another thing to remember is that God's ultimate goal for our lives is not total earthly happiness and always being comfortable. He wants us to grow spiritually, to become like His Son. Each time you follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and make a decision to act as Jesus acted, then you grow closer to becoming more like Him, taking on His values, His attitudes, and His character. How can you be more like Christ right now?
Bible Truth
"You were taught to be made new in your thinking. You were taught to start living a new life. It is created to be truly good and holy, just as God is" (Ephesians 4:23-24).
"As you deal with one another, you should think and act as Jesus did" (Philippians 2:5).
