CONFRONTING ATTITUDE

Part 1

By David Woodbury

When we refer to someone as having “attitude” often what we are saying is that their mindset and approach to life are settled and inflexible, or they exhibit argumentative or uncooperative behaviour. . The reality is that we all, in one way or another, develop attitudes. Two questions arise:

• Where do our attitudes originate?
• How can we change them?

We know that a lot of our attitudes, reactions and concepts, are programmed from our childhood. Events and circumstances, which consciously we may not remember, are embedded in the subconscious mind and have a marked effect on the way we see ourselves, others around us, and life in general. Sometimes attitudes are formulated through painful events we have encountered in our lives; they leave an indelible impression which colours the how we see certain thing and the way in which we respond to particular situations. In many ways, our attitudes to life and people are formulated by the events and circumstances of our lives.

It may well be that some of these attitudes and concepts are proper and correct, but it is also possible that some of them may not be appropriate or correct. If that is the fact, then it follows that our concept and outlook on life may be quite faulty. If that is so, what can we do about it?

THE HEART

While modern science would debate the basis of attitudes most would agree that the foundation of our attitudes rests in what we call the heart. Consequently, in trying to understand the impact of attitudes we need to understand what we mean when we refer to the heart. Since the term ”heart” can mean the totality of the feelings, thoughts, and desires of a man, traced back to their deepest source in his inner life, it sometimes has almost the value of the modern psychological “personality”. (Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary- V0l 2 – p550))

Most biblical writers regard the heart as the seat of the consciousness and the will. While we recognise that the brain is the main operative it is not mentioned in the Old Testament. The heart was regarded then as the centre of intellectual activity, and even today we refer to the heart as the centre of emotions. (See Gen 6:5, Psalms 15:1-2, 1 Kings 4:29, Proverbs 6:18) We often would say that the person who has a spirit of compassion and kindness toward other people is regarded as a person whose heart is in the right place.

It is clear that the Old Testament connects the heart with the innermost part of a person’s life, their thought life, their entire being. It speaks of it as being capable of evil; knowing truth, having a generosity like the sand on the seashore; being capable of devising wicked plans. The heart is plainly capable of much evil and great good. It is the control centre of a person and consequently, it is the determiner of attitude.

For thousands of years, the heart has also been regarded by humanity as the essence of all of a person’s activities. Even today we understand that the heart represents a person’s true self. Consequentially, if it is the centre of intellectual life it is a natural conclusion to see it as the centre of will and moral life and the source of our attitudes. It is the innermost part of our being and is that part of us that is directly open to God and can be impacted by his influence.

On the surface there may appear to be a conflict within these two passages of Scripture Ezekiel 18:30-32 and Ezekiel 36:25-26: get yourselves a new heart - I will give you a new heart. However, there is the divine principle at work here, God’s ability to change us and our willingness to be changed. The new heart which he gives us is so given because it comes from a change of attitude toward him.  Note that in Ezekiel 18:30-32 the emphasis is on what we are to do:  "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed. In the second passage, the emphasis is on what God is going to do for us: I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Take good note of the sequence of events; we must first act before God can act. From this we can deduce that when it comes to changing attitudes the priority is on our actions.

THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS

In his teachings, Jesus often referred to the heart and its impact on behaviour and attitude. When Jesus spoke of purity of heart it had to do with the inner aspirations and the secret desires that a person cherishes within their inner being. It is this inner life that needs to be guarded with all diligence, for whatever is in your heart determines what you say. (Matt 12:34 - NLT)

Jesus clearly taught that it is the intention and attitude of the heart that God looks for. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8) The storehouse of the heart is the source of our attitudes and the reality is that over the course of living we fill up that storehouse with all sorts of thoughts, mind-sets and opinions. If the storehouse is full of good thoughts and beliefs then from it will flow right and worthy attitudes. If the storehouse is full of bitterness, resentment and hatred, from it will flow wrong and unacceptable attitudes.

Jesus was very clear that actions are secondary to intention. It is what is in the heart that corrupts the mind and the inevitable result is that wrong and harmful attitudes are all too often observable in our words.

Treasure is usually something we compile over a period of time with thought and effort. We invest part of our lives in its contents; it is something we give in exchange for a portion of our life. Consequently, it has value and meaning to us. Many of the things that are within our heart are those things we have chosen to place there. Some things arrive there uninvited and unexpected and those things only remain if we choose to allow them a place. In the final analysis, we choose much of those things that become the treasury of the heart. (Matthew 12:35 – NLT)

We may well be able to camouflage the content of our hearts and present a good attitudinal facade in public; however, away from the public eye that true attitude will inevitably come to the surface. Of more importance to God is not how we act so much as what is in our heart. As Thomas Aquinas said: Man sees the deed, but God sees the intention.   Let a man examine himself. Let him examine his Words that he may discover the state of his heart. And let him remember that God does not judge him by the words he speaks with care and deliberation, but by the words he speaks when the conventional restraints are gone and the real feelings of his heart come bubbling to the surface.